In Guatemala, more than 12 Hospitals were Benefited: Great National Success in Guatemala with the 4th International Blood Drive Marathon
Unprecedented results were achieved in the 18 marathons that the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace (GEAP) carried out in Guatemala, as part of the 4th International Blood Drive Marathon, during the last few months of 2014, in which 12 public hospitals were benefited and a total of 645 effective blood units were collected.
A joint effort by the GEAP in Guatemala and the Blood Bank Program “Guatevida” the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, National and Regional Blood Banks of Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán, Chimaltenango, Antigua Guatemala, El Progreso, Cobán, Chiquimula, Jutiapa, Escuintla, Guatemalan Institute for Social Security of zone 6, General San Juan de Dios Hospital and the Guatemalan Red Cross, was the guarantee for the success of this marathon; where not only blood units were collected, but also efforts of social responsibility in the Guatemalan citizenship were made.
Peace Activists volunteers organized themselves to educate, raise awareness, and promote activities in the cities of Totonicapán and Jutiapa, places where awareness had not been made on the subject of blood donation. They received in these cities medical and paramedical personnel of the General San Juan de Dios Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Guatemala.
The activities carried out within the framework of the 4th International Blood Drive Marathon were covered by various media, such as: Noti 7, radio punto, VEA Canal, Nuestro Diario, among others.
According to statistics provided by the Office of Free Access to Information of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS, November 24, 2014), the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace contributed 30.5% of the units collected nationwide during 2014, thanks to the 1,402 effective units that were collected in the two marathons carried out during this year. This data includes units collected from volunteer donors in the public, private, and social security blood banks. During 2013, 4,468 units were collected at a national level from volunteer donors in Guatemala. (MSPAS November 24, 2014).
