The Pancretan Association of Volunteer Blood Donors and Organ Donors HematoCrete is a legally recognized non-profit association, based in Heraklion, Crete.
It is the oldest active association of organ donors in the country, having forwarded to the National Transplant Organization (ΕΟΜ) more than 3,500 applications for organ donors, contributing to the fact that Crete has always been in the places with the highest offer for transplants in the country.
In 2008, a blood donation program begins, without the maintenance of a "blood bank", with the main axes of action the cooperation with the institutions by region (local government, education, local associations, church) and their activation in the organization of regular blood donations. More than 15,000 units of blood have been donated under this program up to today. The collected blood is available in its entirety to public hospitals for emergency and permanent needs.
The most important achievement of our effort was the gradual change of mentality on the island, which was characterized by fragmented blood donations, with the majority of blood donors being occasional. More than 10,000 volunteer blood donors have already registered for the blood donations of "HematoCrete", most of whom continue to donate blood regularly and now the assosiation is one of the largest in blood donation in Greece, without even managing the blood in any way.
The association has developed since many years an innovative software for recording blood donors who are then notified by sms / email at the next blood donation and constantly updates printed and audiovisual material. It has held dozens of informative events, 8 pan-Cretan symposia with eminent speakers, the 21st Amfiktionia (pan-Hellenic conference of blood donor associations) and the 8th Panhellenic torchlight procession of volunteer blood donors, while implementing training programs for children.
It carries out 8-12 blood donations per month, with regular blood donation every Saturday at the City Hall of Heraklion (Loggia), while for the last ten years it has been carrying out regular blood donations at the Hellenic Mediterranean University, with the enthusiastic participation of students. Emphasis is also placed on the implementation of blood donations in remote islland villages so that as many citizens as possible have the opportunity to donate blood near their place of residence.
At the same time, more than 1,500 registrations have been made for bone marrow donors. There is also a campaign for the donation of umbilical cord blood for public use in Crete, as an officially collaborating body initially with the Hellenic Umbilical Cord Blood Bank / Institute for Biomedical Research of the Academy of Athens and now the Public Bank of the Umbilical about 350 bags have been delivered to pregnant women).
Finally, during the pandemic, we were able to increase our blood donation by 200%, offering 2,600 units of blood in 2020, with a targeted campaign to address the reluctance of blood donors to attend. The Prefecture of Heraklion remained self-sufficient in blood throughout the pandemic and supplied hospitals outside Crete, while the reductions in major urban centers of the country reached 50%.
We also participated in a research protocol of the University of Crete, studying the percentage of asymptomatic carriers COVID-19, in order to investigate the safety of blood donors. At the same time, we became the first active bone marrow donor registration center in the country as a collaborating body with Orama Elpidas (Vision of Hope) for 2020.
The effort of the Hematocrete's volunteers is continuous in order to consolidate the idea of regular voluntary blood donation and related institutions in our region and country. Our strength is all of you who stand by our side!
