The Alicante Transfusion Centre was in Pilar de la Horadada last weekend where approximately 100 donors turned up to give blood. Of the donors 19 were giving blood for the very first time.
Councillor Elisabet Marcos, who attended the centre herself, said that all expectations had been met with everyone encouraged by the numbers attending although the one disappointment was that 12 people who attended were not allowed to donate.
Some of these were British, contributions from whom are still not allowed in Spain for fear of Variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease. Brits are still not able to donate if they have spent time either visiting or living in the United Kingdom for a cumulative time of 3 months or more between January 1st, 1980, through to December 31st, 1996.
Neither are they allowed to donate blood if they have received a transfusion in any country of the UK, which includes England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Island, but also includes the Channel Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man, any time from the 1st January 1980, right up to present day.
Following their contributions all donors were given a small gift by the Department of Health. Everyone was also entered into a raffle, the prizes for which were dinner for two and an all inclusive weekend getaway, presented by local transport company Grupo Caliche.
A spokeperson for the Transfusion service said that blood is still in extremely short supply and is currently being used in the province at a rate of approximately 250 units daily. He said that he thought the shortage was simply down to a lack of awareness of current needs and a fear of the procedure.
Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/46987/
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