Everyone wishing to store blood rich in stem cells from the umbilical cord will be able to do so at the blood bank.
The bank is very important for the development of the Croatian health system and a big step forward in the improvement of patient care, said Dr Mirando Mrsic, who participated in the project.
Health Minister Neven Ljubicic, who also attended the opening ceremony, proposed that the bank be named after the deceased journalist Ana Rukavina.
Umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells. Stem cells are unspecialized blood cells that produce all other blood cells, including blood-clotting platelets and red and white blood cells. Like donated bone marrow, umbilical cord blood can be used to treat various genetic disorders that affect the blood and immune system, leukemia and certain cancers, and some inherited disorders of body chemistry.