IPST - Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation, IP's mission is to ensure and regulate, at a national level, the activity of transfusion medicine and transplantation but also to ensure the donation, collection, analysis, processing, preservation, storage and distribution of human blood, blood components, organs, tissues and cells of human origin. Carrying out morethan 60 years of existence, as it was rst established in 1958,the vision of IPST is to promote donation as a transversal gesture to all its activity with the aim of contributing to human life in time and quality assuring for this that good practices and innovation accompany the state of the art. The institutional values of this vision arise from the assumption of IPST as an institution dedicated to the support of human life through the areas of blood and transplantation.
The World Health Organization, when regarding the World Blood Donor Day, emphasizes important values underlying the blood donation: the solidarity and the altruism of this gesture that so much helps those who need blood.
Blood transfusion and its components help save millions of lives every year, every day, every hour!
The human dimension of blood donation in Portugal, jointly and severally genuine, with characteristics of odd generosity, obliges us to fully respect the benevolent and voluntary donation and to develop processes and practices that allow maximising the use of donated blood and its components.
It’s in this context that IPST according to its attributions, blood donors with their solidarity donations and the associative movement around blood donation, play a fundamental role in the scope of transfusion medicine deserving distinct respect for their civic sense and act of citizenship.
IPST as an institution of life, which is sustained in a past of rich history now and in future will always be open to modernity and renewal in order to better respond all Portuguese people who need blood to live. Give blood! Give Life!
João Paulo de Almeida e SousaChairman of the Executive Board of IPST
