16 October 2024
(Photo: Intent/Natalia Dovbysh)
On October 16, more than 40 rescuers once again donated blood for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Odesa.
Edurad, a rescuer, told Intent that it was the first time in his life that he had donated blood, and he was a little scared.
He has never donated blood before, but he will continue to do so. Meanwhile, SES sergeant Alla donates blood regularly at least once every six months and not only at such events, but also at blood donation centers.
The rescuers were paid 40 hryvnias each for donating blood, which they collected to transfer to the Armed Forces.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the need for blood donations has increased significantly, as not only civilians but also wounded Ukrainian defenders may need blood transfusions.
A blood donor can be a person between the ages of 18 and 60 who has Ukrainian citizenship or a residence permit. Another caveat is that a donor must weigh at least 50 kg, so that a standard blood donation of about 450 ml is absolutely safe for them.
Read also an interview with Olena Velmohko, founder of the Odesa Donor project and spokesperson for the city's health department.
In June, the Mykolaiv Oblast Guards joined the International Blood Donor Day and donated blood for the needs of the military and civilians.
In May, Olena Velmohko, a spokeswoman for the city health department and curator of the Donor Odesa project, debunked three of the most common myths about donation on Intent.Insight.
According to a study published on the Ukrainian Medical Journal website, after the collapse of the USSR, the percentage of donors in the total population in Ukraine has decreased by more than 2 times in 17 years.
This is not the first time that Odesa rescuers have donated blood. In 2022, firefighters donated blood at a transfusion station on Biskvitny Lane in Odesa.
Кирило Бойко