Blood donation base opens in Zwettl: saving lives made easy!

Blood donation base opens in Zwettl: saving lives made easy!

In a significant step to strengthen the blood supply, Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner opened the first blood donation base in Lower Austria in Zwettl on March 18, 2025. At this ceremonial opening, she emphasized the central role of the Red Cross in health care and appealed to the population to get involved in vital blood donation. “We all have to be aware that blood is an indispensable resource that cannot be produced artificially,” explained Mikl-Leitner, referring to the increasing demand for blood supplies in the region. The Red Cross carries out over 2,700 missions every day and is now even closer to donors to promote life-saving through blood donation appointments, such as Roteskreuz.at reported.

With this new base, open Mondays and Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Red Cross is responding to the growing needs in the region. WCC General Secretary Michael Opriesnig highlighted that to ensure optimal blood supplies, intensive measures are needed to encourage more people to donate. The new location will not only serve as a base for future mobile blood donation campaigns, but will also significantly improve accessibility for potential donors, according to ots.at is crucial for the growing demands of the region.

An incentive for community solidarity

The Waldviertel is already considered a particularly active donor area, with around 220 annual blood donation campaigns. Over 27 percent of whole blood donations in Lower Austria come from this region, which underlines the urgency of the initiative. In addition, the creation of the base created 18 new jobs, which represents an additional positive development for the region. Vice President Werner Schlögl of the Lower Austrian Red Cross emphasized: “Every donation counts and is a sign of lived togetherness.” This new facility will make it possible to save even more lives while integrating volunteer support, Opriesnig explained.