Today it is impossible to imagine modern medicine without donation. High-tech surgeries, such as arthroplasty, organ and tissue transplantation, and others, require large volumes of donor blood components. Many patients require blood transfusions. For many decades, government measures to support blood donation have not allowed this life-giving flow to be interrupted. And it pulsates thanks to the indifference of people who are ready to become donors in order to save others.

Sterility above all

Our country will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the donor movement this year. And in the Mogilev region, it started a little later - in 1931. At the same time, the first donors were the doctors of the main at that time hospital of the regional center - 1st Soviet. It happened that after the procedure, surgeons immediately went to the operation, and therapists - to see patients. Soon the urgent need for a double workload disappeared: workers and engineers, employees and students joined the ranks of donors.

The Mogilev regional blood transfusion station received its own building after the war - in 1959. It is also here now. A good-quality renovation made it possible to bring the three-story building closer to modern standards, to increase the level of comfort for both donors and health workers. The transfusion station also has one more building at its disposal - a laboratory building. Modern equipment allows the introduction of new technologies that improve the quality of blood components. One of the most important requirements at all times has been and remains sterility.

- Masks and gloves have always been an integral part of the work equipment for doctors and nurses. And in March 2020 without a mask in the building can not enter and the donor, - clarified the chief doctor Tamara Burak . - The patient must receive high-quality blood components - safe in the viral and bacterial relation, therefore, all processes - from collection to storage - must be worked out to the smallest detail.

18 to 60

At nine in the morning, the blood transfusion station is crowded. Tamara Fedorovna explains: before getting here, each of the potential donors provided an extract from medical documents on the state of health, including the presence of fluorography, test results and other information.

- Donors are first registered for blood supply, and then their information is checked against the anti-donor database. Before the donation procedure, you will have to take another blood test. If there are no changes in the analyzes after the doctor's examination, the donor is sent to the blood supply, the head physician stated. And she added that on the eve of the procedure, it is necessary to observe the regime, that is, to give up fatty, dairy foods and so on.

The procedure for donating blood lasts up to ten minutes, plasma - takes more time. A year ago, the standard list of harvested plasma was supplemented with another type - immune with antibodies to COVID-19.

“Covid plasma undergoes pathogen reduction using special equipment, which allows bacteria and viruses to be inactivated,” Tamara Fedorovna shared. In the first wave of coronavirus, people who had an infection were often offered to donate plasma by doctors. Today, the residents of the region themselves are showing such activity.

Any healthy person between the ages of 18 and 60 can become a donor. In practice, its most active part is 25-45 years old.

- According to our observations, the social status of donors has grown significantly in recent years. Basically, these are people who make such a step consciously. They understand that their act will help someone to improve their health or even save their lives, - emphasized Tamara Burak.

Two donors per family

Mogilev resident Valentina Sviridova will donate blood for the third time:

- Once I came across an invitation to come to donate blood - and made a decision. The only thing that worried at first was whether it was harmful to the body? It turned out not. After the procedure, I always felt fine, I hope that this time will not be an exception.

The girl considers it important that she makes a personal contribution to a good cause, and intends to continue what she started and further. She is still far from the title of honorary donor, and in general, in the Mogilev region, about eight thousand people have been awarded this status. Irina Lavrinenko is one of them. She says that her husband Sergei has become an example in this matter.

She donated blood for the first time back in 1995, at that time she worked in a store. And today she works in the canteen of the blood transfusion station: she gives out breakfasts to donors - packets of juice, marshmallows and other sweets. You can take them with you or have a meal on the spot after the blood donation: there are convenient tables for this in the buffet. Not everyone knows that the smiling barmaid is also an honorary donor, awarded a medal. Irina Lavrinenko had to take platelets on an emergency basis more than once.

- When the need for platelets is acute, we often turn to the station staff. It may take time to find another donor, while every minute in such cases is precious, - noted Tamara Burak.

There is never too much

On average, the transfusion station receives about 100 donors per day, and almost half of them are plasma donors. Many residents of the Mogilev region are involved in the noble cause of donating blood and its components.

- Today in the region it is possible to donate blood in the Mogilev regional and in the Bobruisk zonal blood transfusion stations, in the interdistrict transfusion centers - Goretskaya and Klimovichi central rayon hospitals. Also, on a weekly basis, the mobile team of the regional transfusion station carries out blood sampling from donors in regional centers, - said Tamara Fedorovna.

Blood donation campaigns resonate with fellow countrymen, including students of Mogilev universities, college students. The head physician explained that over the years, transfusiology has stepped forward:

- There is currently no replacement of donated blood. But if once whole blood was transfused to patients, now components and blood products are being procured and transfused. This is a laborious and serious process that requires high professionalism and responsibility of employees of the blood service, which is why caring people work here. On the eve of the International Donor Day, I want to thank all donors for saving lives and wish health to themselves, their families and friends.

Written by: mogilev-region.gov.by