“You do not become an honorary blood donor because of chocolate”. Who are the people who donate blood?

Contents

Honorary blood donors are optimistic about life
Compared to the European Union, our blood donation system looks pale
One unit of blood can save three people’s lives
You do not become an honorary blood donor because of chocolate
There is no return to the 3% Pension Supplement

The honorary blood donor donates 450 ml of blood at a time. This is exactly what it takes to save the lives of three people. On June 14, we celebrate World Blood Donor Day.

The demand for blood is enormous, an average of 1 in 10 hospitalized people needs it. In Poland, 1,7 million transfusions are carried out annually
Blood cannot be produced. The only way to get it is to get it from a donor. In Poland, there were 2018 of them in 600, although this number is falling from year to year. In this respect, Poland is far behind other European countries
The matter is not helped by the fact that blood donation stations have been closed in smaller towns, and honorary donors can count on symbolic privileges, the most important of which is a tax relief, which can amount to up to 3,5 thousand zlotys. zlotys
Every year – especially during the holiday season – blood donation stations run out of blood. Meanwhile, almost every Polish citizen aged 18-65 can become a donor. Below you will find information about the health conditions that must be met
Honorary Blood Donor can be any blood donor who registers for a health care unit and donates blood voluntarily and honorably. Meritorious donors are those who have donated min. 5 (women) or 6 (men) liters of blood
You can find more similar stories on the TvoiLokony home page

On the blood.info website, there is an infographic, updated daily, presenting blood supplies in 21 Polish blood donation centers. The drops symbolize individual groups: 0, A, B and AB – with positive or negative Rh factor. Red means that there is enough blood, half full is average, and empty indicates a shortage. June 12, as updated at At 9.20 in group 0 Rh- empty drops were visible in 15 centers, and blood from B Rh- was missing in 12.

Honorary blood donors are optimistic about life

Blood is a living tissue that has not yet been synthesized. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain it in any other way than from a donor. The demand is huge, on average 1 in 10 people hospitalized requires transfusions, which are carried out by 1,7 million per year. They save lives not only of accident victims, but also of people who have lost blood as a result of surgeries, coagulation disorders, burns or injuries. Blood is also transfused to patients with cancer (e.g. acute leukemia) during and after chemotherapy.

“Why did you bring a Turk here?” the doctor from the blood donation center in Lodz was surprised at the sight of Andrzej Pachucy entering the office accompanied by a visitor from distant Istanbul. It is obvious that only Polish citizens can donate blood here.

– It was a good few years ago, before the doctor qualifying for donation was replaced by a computer – recalls Andrzej Pachucy, one of the record holders among blood donors with 83 liters of donated whole blood. “Doctor, I have a surprise for you,” he replied, “show the doctor your passport.” It turned out that the Turk has Polish citizenship, because he married a Polish woman.

During his holiday in Turkey, Mr. Andrzej spoke passionately about voluntary blood donation. He came back and had time to forget everything, but one day he picked up the phone. The Turkish tour guide of his tour called from Okecie that he had just arrived and would be happy to donate blood. Those who know Andrzej Pachucy from the Club of Honorary Blood Donors of the Polish Red Cross at the Municipal Transport Company in Łódź know that he can spread the idea of blood donation very effectively.

– Andrzej is a golden man, the soul of the party, he knows how to persuade and draws a lot of people to the club – says Bartosz Stępień, spokesman for MPK in Łódź. – It is his merit, his approach, cordiality and ability to win people over.

In fact, Mr. Pachucy “won” not only his colleagues, but almost his entire family. The blood donor is his wife and son-in-law, and his granddaughter takes over from him. He says that since he donated blood for the first time, 41 years ago, he is healthy, has good blood pressure and does not complain about anything. And although adhesions have appeared in the veins, an experienced nurse can puncture herself so much that a person will not even feel it.

It is the cheapest and best drug we have, but we are reluctant to share it. Why don’t we want to donate blood?

Perhaps it is an optimistic approach to life that causes the donor families to become infected by the desire to share blood. Mr. Franciszek Paszkowski from the Fireman’s Club in Błonie (24,250 liters of donated blood) already has a third generation successor in the person of his sister’s granddaughter. Also, two granddaughters of Tadeusz Paluba (33 liters of donated blood) from Żyrardów share their blood with those in need.

Compared to the European Union, our blood donation system looks pale

In 2018, Polish blood donation centers collected approx. 1,3 million donations of blood and its components for over 600. honorary donors. The Central Statistical Office reports that in 2017, compared to 2016, the number of donors decreased by over 9. (1,5 percent).

People from 18 to 65 years of age weighing 50 kilograms or more can donate blood. All you need to do is fill out the appropriate form and pass the research. In 2017, blood donors accounted for 2,4 percent. population aged 18-65. For 10 thousand. On average, there were 159 blood donors of citizens. The largest number of them was in the Wielkopolskie voivodship – 68,7 thousand, and the smallest blood donors per 10 thousand. population was recorded in the province. Podlasie – 293 people.

According to the policy of the European Union, each member state should be self-sufficient when it comes to managing blood resources. Unfortunately, Poland is not the best in terms of the number of donors and donations. Detailed data is provided by the authors of the article “Comparative analysis of the operation of the blood donation system in European Union countries” (Grażyna Trzpiot et al., University of Economics in Katowice; 2014).

Austria can boast the highest percentage of people who have ever donated blood (66%), followed by France (52%) and Greece with Cyprus (51%). Poland with a result of 25 percent it comes at the end of the field (only Italy and Portugal are behind us). In the 2009 blood donation ranking, we took the last place. The authors of the text see the causes of the poor condition of the system in the methods of activating donors that do not fully take into account the current economic, legal and cultural conditions. And as the most important destimulant they believe that donating blood is not safe.

Due to cost optimization in smaller towns, collection points were removed. Tadeusz Paluba points out that this is a considerable difficulty, because the honorary blood donor from Żyrardów either has to wait for the arrival of the blood bus or go to Warsaw. Franciszek Paszkowski from Błonie has similar observations.

In March this year. just after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of blood donors dropped drastically, ambulances where blood could be donated stopped leaving, some blood donation points were also closed, and some of those located in hospitals were moved. The situation was dramatic as the blood banks began to glow empty. Fortunately, there were also fewer victims of various types of accidents, and the number of planned operations was reduced. Although the rigors related to COVID-19 have now been relaxed, the holiday begins, a period when there is traditionally a shortage of blood.

One unit of blood can save three people’s lives

450 ml of whole blood is collected at a time, i.e. one unit, which takes no more than 8 minutes. Along with the registration, tests and filling in the documents, the blood donor devotes a maximum of one hour to this purpose. Women can donate up to four times a year (450 ml every 12 weeks) and men up to six (450 ml every 8 weeks).

The contraindication is, inter alia, ordinary herpes, dental suturing, acupuncture, tattooing, piercing of ears or other parts of the body performed in the last 6 months, as well as surgery, endoscopy, gastroscopy, laparoscopy, etc., and treatment with blood or blood products in the last year. Willing to donate blood may also be disqualified from permanent cardiovascular disease.

Donation of 450 ml of blood constitutes a loss of less than 10%. (we have about 5 – 6 liters of it), so it does not pose any threat. Immediately after the treatment, the body begins to regenerate, first the blood volume is balanced, and then its cellular components.

Two hours before donating blood and the day before, the donor should eat light, low-fat meals, because fatty food affects the quality of donation. Blood may be disqualified for lipemic (greasy) plasma. Within 24 hours before blood sampling, you should drink about 2 liters of fluids, there is also a 48-hour abstinence. Besides, you shouldn’t take any medications, except for hypertension and contraceptives.

450 ml of blood corresponds to 4500 kcal, so after the donation, the donor receives 8 bars of chocolate. In addition to the sweet equivalent, the donor is entitled to:

time off from work on the day on which he donates blood and for the period of periodic medical examination;
reimbursement of travel expenses to a blood donation station;
return of lost earnings;
deduction of donation from income tax (cash equivalent for donation).

The amount of the allowance is calculated by multiplying the number of liters of donated blood (or plasma) by the conversion factor, currently it is PLN 130 per liter. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies and some hospitals can buy a blood unit from blood donation centers at the official net price of PLN 275.

A man can donate 2,7 liters per year, and a woman 1,8 liters of whole blood, and plasma as much as 25 liters. Thus, the maximum amount is PLN 3601 for a man and PLN 3484 for a woman. The deduction for 2018 was used by over 148 thousand. donors (0,59% of total taxpayers), and the total amount of the relief was PLN 31. PLN, i.e. an average of PLN 550 per person.

She wanted to revolutionize blood testing. She turned out to be a great fraud [FRAGMENT]

You do not become an honorary blood donor because of chocolate

A donor registered in a blood donation center is awarded the title of “Honorary Blood Donor”. Women who donated at least 5 liters of blood or other blood components equivalent to this volume, and men who donated min. 6 liters, they gain the title and badge of “Meritorious Honorary Blood Donor”. This has certain powers:

to use out of sequence health care and pharmaceutical services in pharmacies;
for free supply of drugs included in the lists up to the limit and drugs that the donor uses in connection with donating blood, based on a prescription;
for free use of public transport or discount tickets. However, this right depends on municipal councils, so it does not have to apply in every city.

These are the rules, but by reading the entries on the blood donor.org website, you can find out what the reality looks like. Even these fairly modest privileges are often not respected:

“ZHDK privileges? Laughter in the room. I donated 25 liters of blood honorably, saving many lives. Today, if I want to visit a doctor, I have to stand in line with other people […]. Medicines are also not at a discount, you have to hit the right place to get a discount medicine “- writes Karol in 2019.

“I believe that the priority line at the doctor’s or the pharmacy’s should be more publicized. I used it in the clinic only a few times (over 20 liters returned) and each time there were problems. Not only from others, which is understandable (human envy), but also from nurses who tried to refuse to visit me even on the same day, because there were too many people, etc. Surprisingly, pharmacists never have any problems in the pharmacy. Nevertheless, in pharmacies they could add HDK priority signs, because people look like crazy and actually prefer to stand out “- Kamil (2020).

– I often have to wait at the pharmacy or the doctor – says Tadeusz Paluba. – You have to speak up for your rights, and it should be enough to show the identity card of an honorary blood donor.

– Once my employer, i.e. the Municipal Transport Company in Łódź, did not pay ZUS contributions for the days when I was not at work due to donations – says Andrzej Pachucy. – He was not obliged to do so, so after 41 years I had a few non-contributory months. The dues are now paid thanks to the fact that the club of honorary blood donors operating at the plant has reached an agreement with the president. However, not all Polish blood donors know about this gap in the regulations.

Meanwhile, the famous chocolates that are given to blood donors from the club at MPK in Łódź go to children suffering from leukemia as part of their cooperation with the Krwinka Foundation. “Who would eat so much?” Laughs Andrzej Pachucy.

There is no return to the 3% Pension Supplement

The condition for supplying the country with blood is acquiring new blood donors. In the days of compulsory military service, a significant amount of blood was supplied to the conscription system. Few of the young soldiers were not tempted by the prospect of additional passes. In 1991, another decoy disappeared, this time the financial one in the form of a 3% supplement to pensions.

This year, the question of add-ons has returned. In February, MP Piotr Borys (PO), at the request of blood donors, submitted an interpellation to the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy and the Ministry of Health. His proposal assumed a supplement for each donor who donated more than 20 liters of whole blood or its components and received the title and distinction of the Meritorious Honorary Blood Donor – Meritorious for the Health of the Nation. To achieve this result, you need to donate blood for an average of 15 years.

How to find out what your blood type is?

Both ministries declined unanimously. They cited, inter alia, on European Union directives, which define blood donation as voluntary and unpaid and on the principle of equal treatment of insured persons.

The reactions of the interested parties themselves were twofold: “Members and ministers should also exercise their functions honorably. Only in this way can we be sure that their intentions are pure and that their decisions are unrelated to their improvement in being. As for our blood, I pay attention to what happens to unused blood – it is sold to pharmaceutical companies. I believe that in this case there may be deliberate mismanagement of the inventory so as to maximize the profits from unpaid blood. In this case, the donor should be paid for selling the blood or blood components. Another thing, if we really want to win something, it is enough to stop donating blood for six months, ”writes marelo9 on the forum.

“Reading these some comments, it just makes me sick – we donate blood HONORLY, that is, selflessly, not counting on any profits on this account. I donate blood from 1975 to now (last time on March 13.03th), I donated about 37 liters of blood – I received several PCK industry awards, including Merit for the Health of the Nation, I also received the Bronze and Silver Cross of Merit for activities for the Polish Red Cross and for promoting voluntary blood donation – it is very nice, but I am most happy that I was able to help many of our countrymen selflessly. ” – wrote Andrzej in turn.