Every citizen may give his or her own blood, further to a medical checkup to ensure that the following requirements are met: aged between 18 and 65, good general physical condition and weigh not less than 50 kg.
It is possible to go to Italian Red Cross or Avis centres, and to hospital transfusion centres, in the hours established by each centre, without having eaten beforehand (coffee or tea is ok). The whole procedure lasts about 10 minutes, with the collection of a given quantity of the donor’s blood by professional staff (doctors and nurses) using sterile and disposable materials. Men can donate four times a year, women in fertile age twice a year.
If the blood donor is an employee, he is entitled to be off work for the whole day, and to be paid for that day.
To find out more (in Italian)
Italian Red Cross
Avis
All info