Plasma donations in Lleida hit record

Banc de Sang i Teixits said on May 14 that plasma donations in Lleida rose to a record 1,984 in 2025, even as blood donations in the province fell. The figures were reported by Segre and align with the Catalan public blood bank’s broader push to raise plasma collections across the region. The campaign now under way urges donors to alternate blood and plasma donations rather than treat plasma as a one-off act. Lleida is one of the hospital sites where plasma can be donated by appointment. ### Why is Lleida drawing attention now? The 1,984 plasma donations recorded in Lleida in 2025 were the highest in the last seven years, according to Segre. That total was 10% above 2024 and 68% above 2019, the newspaper reported. Over the same period, blood donations in Lleida moved the other way, falling to 6,051 in 2025, down 6.3% from 2024 and 17.6% from 2019. (segre.com) May 14 is also when the local rise was linked to a wider campaign by Banc de Sang i Teixits to promote alternating donations of blood and plasma. The public blood bank said plasma has become as necessary as blood because of its medical uses, Segre reported. ### What is plasma used for that makes this push urgent? (segre.com) Catalonia has more than 3,000 people who need plasma-based medicines for life and more than 4,000 who receive plasma transfusions each year, according to Banc de Sang i Teixits and Catalan health authorities. Those medicines include immunoglobulins, proteins obtained from plasma and used in patients with immune deficiencies and other conditions. (segre.com) Catalonia currently collects enough plasma to produce 39% of the immunoglobulins it needs, according to Banc de Sang i Teixits. The blood bank said the use of immunoglobulins has doubled over the last decade, which is why plasma collection has become a priority. (bancsang.net) ### How often can someone donate plasma instead of blood? Plasma can be donated every 15 days, and the extraction process takes about 40 to 60 minutes, Segre reported. Banc de Sang i Teixits says donors must meet the same basic requirements as for blood donation: they must be between 18 and 70 years old, weigh more than 50 kilograms and be in good health. (bancsang.net) Blood donation follows a different timetable. Banc de Sang i Teixits says at least two months must pass between blood donations, and its donor guidance says someone who has donated blood can donate plasma after one month, while plasma-to-plasma donations can be spaced 15 days apart. ### Where can people in Lleida donate? Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova in Lleida is listed by Banc de Sang i Teixits as a hospital with a plasma donation unit. (segre.com) The blood bank’s appointment page lists Lleida alongside donation sites in Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, Reus, Terrassa and Tortosa. Banc de Sang i Teixits also runs blood and plasma collection activity across Catalonia and says between 800 and 1,000 people need blood each day in the region. (bancsang.net) The organization says more than 70,000 people receive blood each year in Catalonia. ### What is the campaign asking donors to do next? The current campaign asks existing donors to alternate blood and plasma donations to help sustain supply, according to Segre. (bancsang.net) Banc de Sang i Teixits is also running what it calls the “Gold Challenge,” with a target of reaching 65,000 plasma donations a year in Catalonia. (bancsang.net) As of the latest update on the blood bank’s plasma page, Banc de Sang i Teixits said it had logged 5,550 plasma donations in 2026 toward that annual target. Appointments for Lleida and other hospital sites are available through the blood bank’s booking system. (bancsang.net) (segre.com)