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Over a million Russians gave blood in 2017, says Health Ministry

Nearly 1.3 mln people in Russia gave blood in 2017

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. Nearly 1.3 mln people in Russia gave blood in 2017, the Health Ministry’s State Secretary Dmitry Kostennikov told reporters on Friday, when National Donor Day is being marked.

"As many as 1.3 million people give blood every year, with 99% of them being voluntary donors," he said, noting that Russia’s demand for donor blood was met in full.

According to the Health Ministry, the number of paid blood donors has declined from 10% to 2% over the past decade.

The official added that around 4,000 health facilities across Russia conducted blood transfusions, while 101 blood transfusion stations and 253 blood transfusion departments collected blood.

No age ceiling for blood donation

Russian citizens are eligible to become blood donors starting from the age of 18, though no upper age limit exists, Head of the Blood Service Management Department at the Federal Biomedical Agency Olga Eikhler told reporters.

"There is no upper age limit for blood donation, it is only donors’ physical fitness and the state of their health that matter," she said, adding that there were donors over the age of 70 that registered with the Blood Service, who had been giving blood for many years. 0bea/pa.