Every year, on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day.
The event serves to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure the quality, safety and availability of blood and blood products for patients in need, WHO reports.
Transfusion of blood and blood products helps save millions of lives every year. It can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and with a higher quality of life, and supports complex medical and surgical procedures.
It also has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and child care and during the emergency response to man-made and natural disasters.
A blood service that gives patients access to safe blood and blood products in sufficient quantity is a key component of an effective health system.
“Donate Blood, Save Life”
The “Donate Blood, Save Life” campaign, initiated by the Romanian Patriarchate in 2013 and approved by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, has so far mobilized over 20,000 donors, with around 15,000 liters of blood being harvested.
Of course, this campaign continues, hoping to encourage more Romanians to be solidary with the sick.
At this time, there is an acute need for blood in many medical units because surgical interventions are postponed in hospitals due to this lack. Thus, those who want to help resolve this crisis are urged to go and give blood at the nearest blood transfusion centres.
Foto credit: totalassist.co.uk
