Doesn’t the name Arthur de Siqueira Cavalcanti ring a bell? It should. Here we are at the Centro de Hemoterapia e Hematologia do Rio de Janeiro. It is also known as the Instituto Estadual de Hematologia Arthur de Siqueira Cavalcanti. Locals often just call it HEMORIO.
HEMORIO started during World War II in 1944. At that time it was in the Lapa neighborhood. It distributed blood to emergency hospitals. It already acted as a blood center.
In 1956 a hematology service was created linked to the blood bank. This led to the Institute of Hematology. Later the institute was named after doctor Arthur de Siqueira Cavalcanti.
During Carlos Lacerda’s government a new building was planned. It would be next to the Souza Aguiar hospital. Construction began in March 1964. This project aimed to give Rio de Janeiro a modern facility. It would be a center for research and technical training. The center would improve blood collection, storage and plasma preparation. This would help meet the growing demand.
The current headquarters opened on September 29 1969. It is located on Rua Frei Caneca. Seventeen years later it officially became HEMORIO.
HEMORIO supplies blood to many health units in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. It receives about 350 voluntary blood donors daily. The hematology service treats over 10000 active patients. These patients receive treatment for hematological diseases.
HEMORIO’s work has earned several quality awards. In 2004 it won the Prêmio Qualidade Rio. It was the first public institution to receive the gold medal.
The American Association of Blood Banks AABB recognizes HEMORIO internationally. The Joint Commission International also recognizes it. HEMORIO’s projects show its institutional growth.
If you want to donate blood HEMORIO is open every day. Donation hours are from 7 am to 6 pm including weekends and holidays. The only exception is January 1st. The outpatient clinic is open weekdays from 7 am to 5 pm. Emergency services are available 24 hours a day. The address is Rua Frei Caneca 8 Centro Rio de Janeiro. The phone number is 21 2332-8611. The blood donation hotline is 0800-282-0708.
HEMORIO has many associated blood collection and therapy centers. They are located throughout Rio de Janeiro and surrounding areas. They are in places like Laranjeiras Vila Isabel and Duque de Caxias. Each has its own hours and contact information.
A similar organization Hemolad has been active since 1993. It supports about 30 health institutions in Rio. Hemolad performs around 2500 transfusions monthly. It relies on 2000 potential blood donors.
Now you know more about the vital work done here at the Centro de Hemoterapia e Hematologia do Rio de Janeiro. It is a place of healing research and hope for countless patients.