SIRACUSA (ITALPRESS) – The celebration of World Blood Donor Day at ASP Siracusa took place with a conference at Umberto I Hospital, attended by local authorities, mayors, volunteer organizations, healthcare personnel, and citizens, marking an opportunity to express gratitude to donors and those who help achieve the self-sufficiency of the organization. The AVIS of Siracusa awarded the gold medal with emerald to volunteer Danilo Mancinelli for reaching 100 blood donations, recognizing him in the gold register of donors.
The proceedings began with the greetings of the company’s medical director Salvatore Madonia, who conveyed the message from General Director Alessandro Caltagirone, alongside Dario Genovese, director of the Transfusion Center, and Grazia Celestri, deputy medical director. Among others present were the President of the Free Consortium of Municipalities Michelangelo Giansiracusa, representing Siracusa Mayor Francesco Italia, Noto Mayor Corrado Figura, representatives from Municipal Councils, Provincial AVIS President Natalina Petralito, Aretusa AVIS President Vincenzo Tedone, FRATRES representatives, and various local volunteer donor associations. Online, General Director of DASOE Giacomo Scalzo and Maria Luisa Ventura from the Regional Blood and Transfusion Center also participated.
The event – as noted – served as a significant occasion, emphasized by medical director Salvatore Madonia, to draw public attention to voluntary blood donation and to inspire interest in achieving self-sufficiency for blood components and plasma-derived medicines. The important role of volunteer organizations, institutions, and all mayors of the province of Siracusa was highlighted, with many monuments illuminated in red today, alongside hospital facades in collaboration with ASP.
Dario Genovese, the director of the Transfusion Center, presented 2024 data from the transfusion structure, which collected and processed 19,858 units of whole blood, 2,539 units of plasma by apheresis, and 621 units of platelet concentrates by apheresis, facilitating 3,352 transfusion therapies including 161 transfusions for thalassemics every three weeks with red blood cell concentrates.
ASP Siracusa – the note continues – stands out regionally for its achieved self-sufficiency and significant contribution to regional self-sufficiency for blood components, having provided necessary blood components for the treatment of citizens from the province of Siracusa admitted to other regional healthcare facilities. Currently, there are over 18,000 active and periodic donors in the province.
The strategic management expresses gratitude to mayors and presidents of Municipal Councils, urging them to continue supporting, as done in the past and per the regional decree of October 28, 2004, as well as the recent agreement between ANCI Sicily and the Donors Association, the promotional activities for blood donation through the utmost collaboration with the Transfusion Centers of the organization and local volunteer blood donor associations.
– Photo: press office Asp Siracusa –
(ITALPRESS).
