PRCCI Launches En PR Lo Llevamos en la Sangre

An urgent call is issued for blood and plasma donations to help meet the needs of hospitalized patients, accelerate clinical research for COVID-19, and convalescent plasma treatment.

Anchored by the slogan En Puerto Rico LO LLEVAMOS EN LA SANGRE  the  initiative created by the Puerto Rico Consortium for Clinical Investigation (PRCCI)– a subsidiary of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust – communicates for the first time and under one voice, a shared call among the Banco de Sangre de Centro Médico, the Puerto Rico Blood Bank and the Banco de Sangre de Servicios Mutuos. PRCCI launched this educational initiative to encourage people to donate blood and COVID-19 patient convalescent plasma, aiming to replenish various blood banks in Puerto Rico whose supplies are estimated to have decreased by 50%.

“At PRCCI we understand that this effort is of utmost urgency, especially in the face of the shortage of blood and plasma in local blood banks, the challenges that a possible second wave of COVID-19 would bring and the possible impact of natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes, among others. The lack of optimal blood and plasma reserves in banks can impact hospitals to treat patients, whether in medical emergencies, surgeries, and others,” said the Executive Director of the Consortium, Dr. Amarilys Silva, PharmD.

According to Dr. Silva, there is scientific evidence that suggests convalescent plasma (the liquid part of blood collected from a patient who has recovered from an infection) could help some patients recover from coronavirus (COVID-19) through experimental treatment in compliance with approved protocols.

“For this reason, additional research is needed to determine the effectiveness of convalescent plasma. To this end, with this campaign, in conjunction with our daily work, we seek to redouble efforts in this area, promoting medical-scientific research and development at the local level in collaboration with researchers from academia and hospitals in and outside of Puerto Rico,” Dr. Silva stressed.

This initiative was supported through local channels and social media. Non-profit organizations and corporations collaborated and supported PRCCI in transmitting the message to their internal teams as well as their external networks.

For her part, the Eng. Lucy Crespo, Chief Executive Officer of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust added that “through the PRCCI we continue to work to bring innovation to Puerto Rico through research and thus achieve greater access to new medical treatments for patients. The slogan En Puerto Rico LO LLEVAMOS EN LA SANGRE unites our social responsibility as an organization with our mission to continue expanding clinical research on the island for everyone’s well-being.”

For more information and to register as a donor visit: lollevamosenlasangre.org. Follow the campaign on social media under #lollevamosenlasangre.