Chaco Celebrates National Voluntary Blood Donor Day with Awareness and Collections

Like every November 9, the Ministry of Public Health of Chaco adheres to the commemoration of the National Voluntary Blood Donor Day and from the Provincial Hemotherapy Center, located in the “Dr. Julio C. Perrando”, emphasize the importance of promoting voluntary blood donation.

In this framework, the Chaco health portfolio expresses its recognition and gratitude to all the people who, by donating blood, make it possible to improve the health of other people and, in many cases, save lives. José Mohalem, promoter of blood donation in the province of Chaco and member of the Provincial Hemotherapy Center, said: “We are grateful to so many voluntary donors in Chaco who have saved many lives so far.”

It happened in our country

National Voluntary Blood Donor Day was established in 2004, by National Law No. 25,936. The date commemorates the first blood transfusion in the world carried out with a new technique, a historic event that occurred in Argentina.

On November 9, 1914, the Argentine doctor and researcher Luis Agote carried out the first blood transfusion procedure with the addition of sodium citrate, a technique developed to prevent blood clotting. This event, which marked a milestone in medical science, took place at the Instituto Modelo of the Rawson hospital, in Buenos Aires, where a woman with postpartum hemorrhage received the blood donated by the hospital porter.

This experience meant a great advance in transfusion medicine worldwide, since blood transfusion from then on made it possible to save millions of lives, becoming an essential support in the development of surgeries, transplants and oncological treatments, among others.

Awareness activities and collections

Mohalem explained that regarding this commemoration, awareness-raising and visibility activities of the importance of voluntary blood donation are being carried out throughout the province. “We also carry out collections in different parts of the province, such as in the towns of San Martín, Villa Ángela and Charata,” mentioned the specialist.

This Saturday, November 11, the Provincial Hemotherapy Center will carry out a collection of voluntary blood donors on the second floor of the House of Cultures, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.