The Banc de Sang i Teixits (BST) has launched a new edition of the Catalonia Blood Donor Marathon, under the slogan 'The link that makes us immense'. This initiative, held annually during the second week of January, aims to recover blood and plasma reserves affected by the impact of the Christmas holidays.
The city of Tarragona is once again joining the campaign, offering donation points at the Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII. As a novelty, blood donations will also be possible on January 12, from 3 PM to 7 PM, at CAP Jaume I, and on January 13, during the same hours, at Escola El Miracle. Furthermore, on Saturday, January 10, the Palau Municipal and the Espai Jove Kesse will be illuminated to consolidate this tradition of solidarity.
“"The importance of donating blood, always, but especially during these dates, when we give so many gifts and don't think about the most important thing: life."
The presentation of the proposal in Tarragona was attended by Mayor Rubén Viñuales, the head of the Blood Bank in the city, Albert Soley, and donor testimony Carlos García. It is estimated that in 2026, more than 240,000 donations will be needed to cover patient needs across Catalonia.
Currently, one in three blood donations is allocated to cancer patients (34%), followed by digestive system diseases (15.5%) and cardiovascular diseases (12.3%). The average age of recipient patients has increased to 73 years, with the group over 70 representing 56.6% of all transfusions.
