Blood donation is essential for the healthcare system to function, as there is no technology capable of replacing or artificially producing it. For this reason, the Ministry of Health of the Nation is carrying out a campaign in national hospitals to promote voluntary and regular blood donation. According to a report accessed by the Argentine News Agency, this initiative aims to guarantee a quality supply in sufficient quantity to meet the therapeutic needs of all patients. It was specified in the report that if between 3% and 5% of citizens donate blood twice a year, 100% of the country's needs are covered. Nationally, the public sector records 750,000 effective blood donations per year. Of this total, 43% correspond to voluntary and regular donors, while 57% are replacement donors. In the face of this scenario, the national health portfolio is promoting this campaign to qualitatively improve blood donation and move towards 100% voluntary and regular donation. It is estimated that one donor can save up to 4 lives. The institutions participating in the activity are the High Complexity Hospital El Cruce (Florencio Varela), the National Professor Alejandro Posadas Hospital (Morón), the Garrahan Pediatric Hospital (CABA), the SAMIC Cuenca Alta Hospital (Cañuelas), the SAMIC President Néstor Kirchner Hospital, and the SAMIC Dr. René Favaloro Hospital (La Matanza). The campaign has also been joined by the SAMIC El Calafate Hospital, the Bicentennial High Complexity Hospital (Esteban Echeverría), the National and Community Dr. Ramón Carrillo Hospital (Luján), the National 'Doctor Baldomero Sommer' Hospital (General Rodríguez), the National Network 'Lic. Laura Bonaparte' Hospital (CABA), and the National Institute of Psychophysical Rehabilitation of the South -INAREPS- (Mar del Plata). Blood donation is a simple, quick, and safe act, as any person between 16 and 65 years old, weighing more than 50 kg, who feels well, is not going through or has had blood-transmissible diseases (hepatitis, Chagas disease, etc.), has not had risky sexual practices in the last year, or has not had tattoos, piercings, or skin scarifications in the last year can do it. People who wish to donate blood must be willing to have a questionnaire directed according to the Technical Standards of the National Blood Law 22990 with the right to self-exclusion, while it is recommended not to attend on an empty stomach and to drink plenty of fluids without the intake of dairy and fats before the donation, and not to ingest solid food until 5 hours before the blood draw.
