Partnership between Abelardo Santos Hospital and Hemopa Foundation may benefit up to 800 people
The expectation is to receive up to 200 blood bags to reinforce the stock that serves the health units of the public and private networks in Pará
The Dr. Abelardo Santos Regional Hospital (HRAS), in Icoaraci, a district of Belém, and the Hemotherapy and Hematology Center Foundation of Pará (Hemopa) launched a voluntary blood donation campaign on the morning of this Tuesday (8), the first health education action of 2025. The second campaign will take place in October. The action is being held at the Teaching and Research Department (DEP) of HRAS and will continue until Wednesday (9), from 9 am to 4 pm.
In two days, the initiative expects to receive up to 200 blood bags, which can benefit 800 registered patients in the public and private health networks of Pará. Each donation can benefit up to four people waiting for a transfusion.
The Hemopa Foundation, through external campaigns with the theme "Donate blood and spread love", has the partnership of public and private institutions, aiming to contribute to the maintenance of the blood stock of the state hemocenter.
For Vanessa Pimentel, social worker at Hemopa, the partnership is part of an annual campaign calendar, in which HRAS is included with the "Hospital Collection" Project, which promotes the culture of donation among professionals and companions of hospitalized patients.
Adherence - "In all campaigns at 'Abelardo Santos', the adherence is very good, with great engagement from both the Transfusion Agency and the professionals who actively participate in the campaigns. We will have a collection goal of 100 bags each day of the campaign. It is a work of education, of encouraging blood donation as an altruistic gesture that helps preserve the lives of our patients in the hospital network," informed the social worker.
The general director, Ednise Amaral, thanks the volunteers and "for the effort of the organizers of this mobilization of solidarity and social responsibility. We know the importance of this act, which is noble, especially from a health unit that has a Transfusion Agency and daily needs blood bags for hospitalized patients."
Contributing to the blood stocks of Hemopa for over 10 years, HRAS nurse Débora Alencar was one of the first donors on the first day of donation.
"Blood donation is important because it helps people and, in the future, I may also need it. My blood type is O negative. I am a universal donor. This becomes more important for the stock. What motivated me to donate is to help others, because it is known that many people need it for elective surgeries or even in emergencies, and sometimes the stock is low. That is why this campaign in our hospital is important to encourage," said the professional.
Support – The health network of the Government of Pará has a high demand for transfusions, which is why it needs constant donations. To strengthen hemotherapy services, the Transfusion Agency installed at "Abelardo Santos" performs an average of 300 transfusions per month for patients hospitalized in the Neonatal, Pediatric, and Adult Intensive Care Units (ICU); hospitalized patients undergoing hemodialysis and in surgical procedures when necessary.
"The campaign focuses on reaching people who cannot go to Hemopa or a collection point. The mobilization with encouragement allows us to bring people closer to donation. In this way, it is necessary to keep the stock of blood components full to meet the various types of patients who are hospitalized in the hospital network," informed Edilson Cardoso, nurse at the HRAS Transfusion Agency.
In partnership with the Internal Regulation Center (NIR), the Donor Recruitment Rate Indicator jumped from 30% to 77%, according to a survey conducted by the Transfusion Agency in the first half of 2025, after internal health education campaigns developed for companions and professionals of the unit.
"Monthly, we conduct visits to the wards, to the receptions, precisely to raise awareness among both professionals and companions. The planning is working well. During the donation encouragement visits, we provide informational material, discuss donation, and clarify doubts," said the nurse.
To donate blood, it is necessary:
- Present an official photo ID (RG, national driver's license - CNH, work card, or passport). Some official digital documents are also accepted;
- Be between 16 and 69 years old (minors under 18 must present authorization signed by legal guardians);
- Weigh more than 50 kilograms;
- Be well-nourished (must not be fasting);
- Sleep at least 6 hours in the 24 hours prior to donation;
- Not consume alcoholic beverages 12 hours before donation;
- Maintain an interval of two months between donations for men and three months for women;
- Those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 can donate blood, requiring an interval of two days after each dose for those who received the Coronavac vaccine, and seven days for those who received other vaccines.
Service: Anyone wishing to donate blood for patients at Abelardo Santos Hospital should go to any collection unit of the Hemopa Foundation and inform the code 2105 for those donating in Belém. The volunteer donating in municipalities in the interior of the State should use the reference code 151.
Text: Pallmer Barros - Ascom/HRAS
