MDA lists country’s blood-donor winners, losers

Givat Shmuel is the most generous with its blood donations with 7.5% of residents donating.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Avi Dichter donating blood 311 (photo credit: MDA)
Avi Dichter donating blood 311
(photo credit: MDA)
The city whose residents have the highest rate of blood donation to Magen David Adom in 2011 is Givat Shmuel, where 1,670 people – or 7.5 percent of its 22,400 residents – rolled up their sleeves. But compared to 2010, the number of donations was down.
The lowest rates were in Arab towns like Rahat, Tamra, Taibe, Kafr Kassem and Um el-Fahm with 0.9%-1.2%, and the haredi cities of Betar Illit (1.5%) and Bnei Brak (2.6%).
Jerusalem did slightly better with 3.1% (24,567 of 788,100) donating blood, while Tel Aviv had 4% (16,229 of 404,300).
Haifa did even better with 4.7% (12,667 of 268,200) and the same in Beersheba (9,172 of 195,400). Ma’aleh Adumim did well with 6.9%, which was also the figure in Modi’in.
Among the other blood-giving cities, there wasn’t much rhyme or reason to the stars: The second- highest rate was the relatively affluent city of Ra’anana (7%), and close at its heels was the northern development town of Carmiel (6%).
The MDA Blood Services issued the full statistics on Monday.
Last year, 303,630 blood units were donated around the country by 243,000 people – an average of 3.8% of the population.
In 2010, the figure was higher – 4.4%.
Dr. Vered Yahalom, the deputy director of Blood Services, said that 34% of the population have type A+ blood, while 32% O+ and 17% B+. The rarest blood type, AB-, courses through the veins of only 1% of Israelis – at least according to the people who donate.
Blood Services director Prof. Eilat Shinar said she was disappointed that the rate of blood donors declined in the last year, even though blood mobiles travel around the country, reaching places where MDA stations are less accessible.
“We must remember that a unit of blood can save a life,” she said.
MDA director Eli Bin said that a blood donation even once a year provides blood insurance to the donor and his or her immediate family.
Information on where and when one can donate at MDA facilities can be obtained by calling 1-800-400-101 and at the organization’s website at www.mdais.org.il/dam where the statistics can be read.