Blood centers across the country remember, this Monday (25), National Blood Donor Day. The date was established 60 years ago in honor of the Brazilian Association of Voluntary Blood Donors.
Marking the passage of the day is strategic for these institutions, because the month of November precedes the end of year celebrations and holidays, periods when blood bank stocks tend to fall, according to the Ministry of Health.
The director-president of the Fundação Hemocentro de Brasília, Osnei Okumoto, warns of the risk of blood supply decreasing after the growth in demand typical of November. This is because this month there may be greater demand for hospitals.
“As we approach December, there is an increase in major elective surgeries. Doctors, before going on vacation, want to treat their patients, and patients want to have surgeries during this period to arrive fully recovered in December,” said Okumoto in interview with Radio Nacional from Brasilia.
According to him, in addition to the usual higher demand in November, the low supply of blood group O positive is particularly worrying. “People say: oh, there are a lot of O positives’, but as 36% of the population are O positive, we also have a 36% chance of having O positive patients.”
The director also warns about the low number of type O negative blood, considered a universal donor, which is rarer than other blood groups. The stock of both types of blood is considered “critical” in other states, as is the case in the largest network of blood centers in the country, which is in São Paulo.
Liberators of America
Hemocentro de Brasília is taking advantage of the final stage of the Copa Libertadores da América, which will take place next Saturday (30) between Botafogo and Atlético Mineiro, to call on fans of both teams to donate blood – a dispute that will only have winners: “we provoked the two fans so that they could donate before the final”, said Osnei Okumoto.
In each donation, blood collected from one person can help up to four patients who may receive blood components obtained by centrifuging or freezing donated blood, or blood products produced from the fractionation of plasma through physicochemical processes.
Donated blood is used by patients with cancer or hematological diseases, by people undergoing major surgeries, emergency operations and in selective interventions.
Application
To facilitate the recruitment of donors, the Ministry of Health created the Hemovida app last year. The tool, available in the app stores of cell phones and on the platform My Digital SUSmakes the donor’s virtual wallet available with personal and health record information, useful in emergency situations, and donation history.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers it ideal that at least 3.5% of the population donate blood. In Brazil, only 1.4% of the population donates blood according to the Ministry of Health (2022 data). The proportion represents 14 donors for every thousand inhabitants.
To donate blood you must be in good health, be between 16 and 69 years of age, weigh more than 51 kilos and have a BMI (body mass index) greater than or equal to 18.5. Minors under 18 must present an authorization form and a copy of their guardian’s photo ID. Elderly people must have made at least one blood donation before the age of 61, among other guidelines. Find out more here.
The Ministry of Health also released the list of blood centers in all states. In addition to the national day, there is World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on June 14th. The donation is voluntary and there is no remuneration for the initiative.
The verb to donate comes from the words “donare”, which in Latin means “to give a gift”, and “donum” translated as “gift” or “gift”. Donation can be made without worry. The procedure is absolutely safe and does not reuse previous collection material.
