The second year of the event to support the recruitment of free blood donation in Ostrava, organized by the NADĚJE Foundation, confirmed that the interest in helping others continues to persist. The event, which took place on Wednesday 22 January 2025 at the Blood Centre of the Ostrava University Hospital, attracted first-time and repeat donors who contributed to saving lives and supporting the healthcare system.
The main goal of the event was to attract new blood donors for the Blood Centre of the Ostrava University Hospital and to motivate those who had already donated to donate. Both of these goals were successfully met. The event not only brought a high number of new donors, but also returned a number of "dormant donors" to the blood centres.
Since 2018, when the project started in the Czech Republic, 416 new blood donors have been recruited. This year, an additional 366 people have joined them. The highest interest was recorded in 2019, when 1,060 people decided to donate.
People of all ages, from students to senior citizens, were represented among the donors. They were primarily motivated by a desire to help others and share their gift of life. Some donors were inspired by stories of people in need of blood transfusions, while others simply wanted to try something new and useful.
In the Moravian-Silesian region, the demand for blood is considerable. The presence of several commercial centres offering financial rewards for plasma donation, while increasing the total number of donations, may discourage free donations. It is therefore important to organise events that motivate people to help selflessly.
"Any event that is designed to bring first-time donors to us is a fix with great purpose. Unfortunately, we are living in times that are causing an outflow of donors from Transfusion Stations. Regular donors usually end due to their illness or age, and it is really hard to find new donors," said Mgr. Zuzana Jurčeková, PR manager of the Blood Centre of the Ostrava University Hospital.
On behalf of TSC Hospital, s.r.o., the main partner of the event, we thank all donors for their generous act and look forward to further cooperation.
