The ceremony that also marked five years of the ongoing campaign called "Donate Energy for Life" was also addressed by the centre's medical director Primož Rožman, who presented the development of blood donation in the country.

"These 70 years have shown that transfusion medicine in Slovenia is very well developed," he said, adding that the situation in transfusion medicine reflected the situation of health care in general.

Since 4 June 1945, when the first blood donation in the country was recorded, transfusion medicine has developed tremendously, from full blood treatment to component therapy which enables patients to receive only specific elements of blood, Rožman said.

Transfusion medicine in Slovenia today is based on voluntary, free donations, with a high level of safety and in accordance with the most recent European standards, he added.

Slovenian Red Cross secretary general Renata Brunskole noted that Slovenia had a long and strong tradition of blood donation, which has remained the most extensive humanitarian campaign in the country.

"A total of 45,000 litres of blood is collected every year, which means that up to 100,000 donors respond to the cause every year," she added.

Around 400 individual blood donations are required every day to meet the demand of the health care system in Slovenia.

Another ceremony marking the anniversary will be held today at Ljubljana Castle, at which 108 blood donors who have been active in the last ten years will receive special recognition.