In Adana, to maintain blood supplies at necessary levels during the summer months, the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) will organize a blood donation campaign with the theme "We are connected to each other with our hearts, Adana."

Under the auspices of the Adana Governorship, the Turkish Red Crescent Adana Branch and the Presidency of Communications Adana Regional Directorate have taken action regarding the decrease in blood donations during the summer months in the city. Due to citizens going to the sea and highlands due to the summer heat, there has been an approximately 20% decrease in blood stocks in the city and a donation event will be held on April 30.

The event, which aims to both maintain blood stocks at a normal level and raise awareness, will be attended by important figures from the city protocol, as well as the arts and sports communities. At the area to be set up in Istasyon Square, blood donations will be collected from citizens.

"We need 3.4M blood units by 2024"

Turkish Red Crescent Vice President Ramazan Saygılı emphasized to the Anadolu Agency (AA) the national necessity of blood. Saygılı stated that they collect blood donations at 300 points in Türkiye and perform blood operations at 1,156 private and public hospitals. Saygılı expressed that Türkiye's blood need was 2.8 million units in 2023, and they met this demand.

Saying that blood donations were at the desired level in the first three months of the year, Saygılı explained, "There is a need for approximately 3 million units of blood for 2024. We need to meet this demand. The retrospective three-month figures show that our efforts are going well."

"Adana is a city that meets its own needs in terms of blood stocks and supports neighboring provinces. The Red Crescent supporters and donors in Adana, Çukurova and the Eastern Mediterranean are always conscious of blood donations. Therefore, Adana and neighboring provinces are one of our leading self-sufficient cities in Türkiye."

Saygılı stated that they invite everyone to the blood donation campaign to be held in the city on April 30, under the auspices of the Adana Governorship and with the participation of the Presidency's Directorate of Communications and participants from the sports and arts communities.

Emphasizing the decrease in blood stocks as summer and Ramadan approach, Saygılı said: "Before entering the summer months, we will be accepting blood donations here to bring our national blood stock to a certain level and to heal the wounds of those in need. We will advise our valuable friends who have turned 18, and every precious sibling weighing over 50 kilograms, to come to the Red Crescent for blood donation every three months for men and every four months for women."

He also added: "Our valuable fellow citizens who spare 15-20 minutes should come to Istasyon Square and donate blood, establishing a bond of life with strangers and delivering goodness to unknown people as their blood siblings. On April 30, we invite all our big family of Adana to Istasyon Square for this purpose."