Catalonia's annual blood drive results in more than 9,500 donations
Augmented reality human tower in Tarragona turns from white to red as donations come in
blood donation
January blood donation drive aims for 10,000 donations in 7 days
Blood bank hopes to attract more young people and first-time donors during annual push
Catalan blood drive aims for 10,000 donations with a cinema themed campaign
All main Catalan hospitals take part from January 8 until January 15
Catalan blood bank kicks off donation drive
8-day campaign seeks 10,000 donors to make up for decrease in stock levels over holidays
Blood giving drive targets 10,000 donations in a week
From January 10 to 17, this year's campaign includes trap music and Whatsapp group as it aims to bring in more young donors
Blood-giving marathon reaches over 9,000 donations
Flu deemed as main reason for slight decline compared to last year
Annual blood donation marathon kicks off all over Catalonia
This year's campaign is above all aimed at young people and hopes to attract 10,000 donors by January 18
Catalonia has 34 blood donors per thousand of population, almost double the European average
Every day in every hospital in the world blood is needed. The only way to get it is from donations, since blood cannot be created artificially. Each altruist action may serve to help three different patients. In Catalonia, for the system to work optimally 1,000 donations a day would be needed but the average donation figure is lower. Everyone can donate if they weigh over 50kg, since a donation is 450ml of blood and a minimum weight is required. Men can do it four times a year and women three times. There are now various mobile units that travel throughout Catalonia to make donating more accessible to donors.
Grífols’ profits up 35% in 2013 to reach over €345 million
The profits of Catalan pharmaceutical company Grífols in 2013 grew by 34.6% over the previous year, reaching €345.6 million, as reported by the multinational to the Spanish Stock Exchange Regulation Authority (CNMV). The turnover of the company, based in Greater Barcelona, amounted to €2.75 billion, representing a 4.6% increase on 2012 figures. The geographical expansion of the pharmaceutical company has helped mitigating the effects of volatility in currencies, especially between the euro and the dollar. The Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) grew by 9.6% compared to 2012 and stood at €864.6 million, driven by an increase in the sales of plasma proteins and the optimization of the expenses for raw materials and manufacturing.
A new smartphone free app to increase non-profit blood donations
The Federation of Blood Donors in Catalonia wants to reach the young population and to raise the number of donations. Besides, the Catalan pharmaceutical company Grifols asked for a change in the law in order to pay for giving blood. This measure would be an incentive to increase the stock of plasma.