On World Blood Donor Day celebrated on June 14, an increasing number of people donate blood. According to the director of the National Blood Transfusion Center Svetlana Cebotari, the number of donors that come to blood collection points namely on June 14 rises annually by 20-30%, IPN reports.

The health system of Moldova obtains blood products from about 80,000 annual donations. According to Svetlana Cebotari, 85% of all the blood units collected in 2016 came from voluntary donors. The other 15% of the units were also unpaid, but were directed to relatives or friends in need of blood transfusion.

Svetlana Cebotari said any healthy person aged between 18 and 60 who weighs over 50 kg can donate blood. Groups of blood with Rh negative and the groups III and IV with Rh positive are needed most of all.

All the blood donors can take two days off from work and receive a food parcel. Under a draft decision proposed by the Ministry of Health for public debates, the cost of the food parcel for donors could rise from 50 lei now to 100 lei.

The National Blood Transfusion Center today opened ten donation points in Chisinau, Balti and Cahul and another 15 points in district centers.