The Red Cross Flanders has opened its first plasma donor centre on the Belgian coast, located in Ostend, aiming to make plasma donation more accessible in the region.
This is the fourth centre in West Flanders and comes in response to a growing demand for plasma, which rises year by year according to the Red Cross. The organisation aims to achieve over 250,000 plasma donations annually by 2029.
“We need more donations to no longer rely on plasma imports for creating life-saving medicines, and for that, we require more donor centres,” stated Vincent Verbeecke, spokesman for the Red Cross Flanders. “This new centre in Ostend can collect up to 8,000 plasma donations per year.”
Residents of Ostend previously had to travel to Bruges or Roeselare to donate plasma. “Now it’s much easier,” noted the organisation. Ostend is the second new donor centre opened this year, following the launch of one in Oudenaarde.
The centre in Ostend is equipped with seven plasma collection beds and three blood donation beds. The facility is staffed by a team leader, two donation assistants, two nurses, and a doctor who is always present.
The Red Cross Flanders hopes to record 4,000 plasma donations in Ostend this year, with plans to increase that number to 8,000 annually from next year.
