“That is gratifying, especially since significantly fewer people donated in other regions such as the Ruhr area. Many appointments were canceled there because hygiene and distance rules could not be adhered to in the donation shops, ”says Stephan Kottmann from the DRK blood donation service West. He adds: “The rural regions have stepped into the breach for the cities, so to speak.”
4013 men and women each had half a liter of blood drawn off at 64 appointments in the eight municipalities that belong to the district association. “And among them were even 423 first-time donors,” emphasizes District Red Cross Director Sven Kampeter.
Seven donation dates between Vlotho and Rödinghausen were canceled due to corona. “And maybe there would have been more. But the municipalities supported us in the search for suitable rooms, if distances could not be maintained in the actual donation rooms, ”says Stephan Kottmann. The appointments in Löhne did not take place in the AWO day care center at Kreuzkamp, as is usually the case, but in the Bertolt Brecht Comprehensive School.
The Corona year 2020 represented a turning point for the logistical processes of the fundraising campaigns. “From March onwards we thought about how we could allow the appointments to take place in accordance with the pandemic restrictions and also how to equalize the number of visitors,” says Kottmann. Therefore, the DRK introduced a registration procedure.
Anyone who would like to donate registers by phone, on a website or via smartphone app and receives a binding appointment. “That was very well received. The time people spend in the donation room has been reduced from an hour to an average of 35 minutes. And the otherwise long waiting times have also been drastically reduced. When the pandemic is over, we will definitely keep this method, ”reports Sven Kampeter.
Another measure was to first measure the fever of potential donors before they were admitted to the pub. “We also ask about possible corona symptoms and want to know whether the people may have been in risk areas shortly before,” explains the DRK district manager. Another change is that there is no snack at the Red Cross after the blood donation, but a lunch packet for each donor to take away.
But none of that justifies why the number of donors has cracked the 4000 mark for the first time in five years. Stephan Kottmann dares to attempt an explanation: “Apart from the possibility of donating blood, there are currently hardly any opportunities for citizens to stand up for the community. This newly discovered willingness to help and the amount of time that must now be filled certainly play a major role. ”
What those responsible noticed: More and more younger people are visiting the appointments and donating blood. In fundraising campaigns in Bünde, the number of participants increased from 80 in pre-Corona times to 92 on average.
In order to maintain the achieved level, the DRK district association Herford-Land wants to expand its activities in this direction in the future. “In the future, we will again be offering blood donation appointments at companies. We are already in close contact with some companies. We then drive to the companies and their employees can donate blood on site, ”explains Sven Kampeter. In the neighboring district of Minden-Lübbecke, such an action has already met with a good response from the Gauselmann company.
Health check included
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15,000 blood products are needed nationwide every day. Anyone who is at least 18 years old, weighs at least 50 kilos and feels healthy can donate. The maximum age for donations at the Blood Donation Service West is 75 years. “First-time donors can be a maximum of 68 years old,” says Sven Kampeter. He adds: “Something like a health check is included with the donation, because the donated blood is also examined in the laboratory for a number of infectious diseases.” If any abnormal findings are discovered during the examination, the blood donor will be informed The DRK is strengthening younger people up to the age of 50 who want to volunteer for the blood donation teams in the Herford-Land district. Information at www.drk-herford-land.de
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