Normandy requires plasma for medicine production through blood donation.

Whatever the period, blood requirements do not decrease. THE Pre-Bocage is no exception. To meet these needs, blood collections are regularly organized in Villers-Bocage (Calvados) and Aunay-sur-Odon (Monts d’Aunay).

The last ones took place the same week, during the February 2023 holidays, with respectively 75 et 63 blood donors.

Plasma demand on the rise

Among which were a dozen newcomerswho all responded to the call launched by theFrench Blood Establishment (EFS), in charge of collections. “63 is more donors than expected,” says Muriel Blaison, EFS doctor present in Aunay.

Our pocket stocks are holding up. In Normandy, we need plasma donations, especially to manufacture medicines, because demand is on the rise.

10,000 bags collected per day

And that without counting periods in the year more accident-prone than others, where the need for blood is even greater.

This is why we ask donors not to wait for the call from the EFS, but to come and donate regularly. At the national level, we have to collect 10,000 blood bags every day.

A charity supporting donors

The situation is slightly different in Villers-Bocage. Indeed, for collections organized within the municipality, the EFS can also count on the help of another organization: the Amicale de Villers-Bocage for voluntary blood donation.

We carry out two main missions, under the responsibility of the EFS. The first focuses on the communication of collections, with the distribution of posters to town halls and merchants, sharing on social networks… And the second directly concerns the help that can be provided during the collection, with the preparation of places, welcoming donors, snacks, helping to store equipment, etc.

“Need new blood”

Also statutory auditor in Normandy for the French Federation for Voluntary Blood Donationalso relates a stock of blood ” sufficient, autonomous, but barely ».

There are new donors at each collection, but the difficulty is to retain them, and especially to attract young people. It is also the same problem to renew the team of the Amicale; there are about fifteen of us, most of whom have been here for a very long time. There too, new blood is needed.

Accessible criteria for giving

Yet the criteria to donate blood wide enough : you must be between 18 and 70 years old, not fasting, weigh more than 50 kilos and feel in good shape.

“There should be no restrictions, taking medication does not necessarily prohibit blood donation. To know if we are eligibletests are online on the EFS blood donation site,” recalls Muriel Blaison.

“I donate because it’s useful, it helps hospitalized people, it doesn’t cost anything, it’s accessible to everyone, it doesn’t take a lot of time and there is a very good reception”, explains Aurélie, of Anctoville.

It had stopped giving in 2002, but finally resumed donations during the last collection in Aunay.

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