Thanks to the Donor Odesa volunteer project, more than 6,000 blood donations have been made in the city since the beginning of the war

This is more than 1.5 times more than before the war. Olena Velmozko, curator of the Donor Odesa project, told this at a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine – Odesa.

According to the volunteer, the project has been launched since the first days of the full-scale war, as the need for donated blood has increased dramatically. Thanks to the project, up-to-date information about the needs of medical institutions is quickly is distributed among the citizens.

“In this way, we fully meet the needs of medical institutions. Also, thanks to the project, people learn whether they can become donors or not. And not to waste their time and the time of doctors. People come to donate already prepared. In addition, we prevent the formation of queues. Thanks to the project, we have also reduced the burden on relatives who may be potential donors. A sick or injured person is admitted to the hospital, and if he or she urgently requires blood, there is always a supply of the required blood type,” – Olena Velmozko said.

She also added that the project volunteers popularize the idea of donation, help organize mass blood donations for employees of enterprises, students, law enforcement officers, etc.

“Thanks to the project, more than 6,000 blood donations have been made in Odesa during the full-scale war. This is 1.5 times more than in pre-war times. But we cannot stop, blood is always needed,” – the volunteer added.

Olena Olishchuk, head of the city’s transfusion department, said that to become a donor, one should have breakfast, contrary to prejudice, but not a fatty and high-calorie one.

“It can be a cup of tea with cookies or oatmeal. Dairy products, bananas, and eggs are contraindicated. Patients with diabetes, cancer, hypertension, HIV-AIDS, hepatitis B and C are absolutely contraindicated for donation,” – the expert said.

She urged more people to become donors, because even because of the war, the number of cancer patients, patients with hematological diseases and women in labor who constantly need blood transfusions has not decreased.

Volodymyr Nemertsalov, a donor and activist of the Donor Odesa project, noted that donation improves people’s health and reduces the risks of cancer and heart disease. Even if the blood is not a good match, you can find out what a person is suffering from, the activist said. 

In addition, Volodymyr Nemertsalov emphasized that representatives of the Muslim and Jewish religious communities of Odesa region called for donation.

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