Call to donate blood on Fidel Castro's birthday in Havana

The government in Havana has organized several blood donation drives in honor of Fidel Castro's birthday.

Donación de sangre © Portal del Ciudadano de La Habana
Blood donationPhoto © Portal del Ciudadano de La Habana

The Cuban regime, whose voluntary blood donation program has been weakened in recent years due to increasing migration, has called for several events to mark the 98th anniversary of Fidel Castro's birth.

The Citizen Portal of Havana announced on its website that the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution have called for mass blood donations on Monday, August 12, and Tuesday, August 13, as a gesture to commemorate Fidel Castro's birthday, once again highlighting the political instrumentalization of these campaigns.

According to the announcement, blood donations will be accepted at the Provincial Bank and in the collection centers of each municipality on these two days.

"The blood bank at 23 and 2, located in Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución municipality, will be open starting today (Sunday) at 7:00 AM," the note stated.

He also mentioned that the requirements are to be over 18 and under 60 years old, as well as to weigh more than 50 kg.

In the case of women, they must not be breastfeeding, in addition to not being pregnant, and if they have given birth, at least six months must have passed.

He emphasized that individuals who have not been vaccinated in the last 30 days will be able to donate, provided they are not suffering from any illness and are not taking any medication seven days prior to donation. However, he noted that diabetics should not administer insulin, and those with high blood pressure must be well-controlled.

At the beginning of the month, there was significant outrage among several parents in Villa Clara over the fact that their children, who are fulfilling their Active Military Service, have been forced to donate blood and threatened with additional night shifts if they refuse.

Facebook Capture / ICLEP

The Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press echoed on Facebook the outrage of parents and reported that young people in military service are being forced to donate blood: "They are threatened with losing their home visitation privileges or having their night guard duties increased."

In Santiago de Cuba, last July, the family of a man who suffered a traffic accident urgently needed blood donations for him due to the scarcity in the hospital.

A few months ago, appeals were circulating on digital platforms for a girl and a young man in need of blood following an accident, while activist Yoelkis Torres Tápanes turned to social media so that his mother could have surgery at the end of 2023 in Matanzas.

Facebook capture/Yoelkis Torres Tapanes

In March, another Cuban pleaded for help because his mother had been waiting for over a week: "I need a blood donation in Pilón, Granma. There are donors, but supposedly the hospital doesn’t have bags for the blood," explained the internet user Alexis Vargas in a video he posted on Facebook.

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