Malaga’s regional blood transfusion centre collected around 400 donations on Wednesday, twice its usual daily total, after residents responded to the train crash in Urda, Toledo. Hundreds of people went to the centre at Hospital Civil to donate, according to a report by SUR in English.
The donations are not being sent to Castilla-La Mancha for now. The region has not requested supplies and, according to Dr Gracia García of the Malaga centre, its own residents had also responded in large numbers. The blood collected in Malaga will therefore stay in Andalucía, but could be made available if requested.
The centre had not issued an emergency appeal. It opened on Wednesday afternoon after receiving numerous calls from people asking how they could donate. The collection continued late into the night, with staff finishing at about 1am.
The crash in Urda prompted people to offer help even if they had never donated before. SUR reported that more than 100 people were waiting outside the centre at one point, including residents who had gone straight there after work.
The Hospital Civil centre was also scheduled to open from 4pm to 9pm on Thursday. Dr García advised people to use donation points in their own areas; details are available through the centre’s website.
People wishing to donate must be aged 18 to 65 and weigh more than 50 kilograms. They must not have a blood-borne disease, including hepatitis B or C, HIV/AIDS or syphilis. At least two months must pass between donations; the stated annual limits are three donations for women and four for men.