I’m a blood donor. I have no problems with getting stung by the needle and I don’t feel any adverse effects of the blood loss. I do, and I admit this voluntarily, feel good when I’ve given blood.
That’s important because you can hardly motivate blood donors in any other way than to apeal to their good will. They give you a small present when you give blood but that is hardly the motivation for most blood donors. The Bloodcentral at the Karolinska hospital in Stockholm are doing a good job telling their blood donors that they are needed and that their blood is put to good use. (Perhaps it works the same way in other parts of this country. I don’t know).
On September 13th I recieved a text message to my phone saying that there was a shortage of my blood type. Could I help out and go to the blood donor central at Fridhemsplan in Stockholm?
I never had any message like that before and assumed that there had been a large accident or something and that there was an acute need. I changed my plans for the day and went to the blood central. There I learned that the blood central works with some planning ahead. This was an automated procedure that was triggered when the reserves went below a certain level. I could just as well have come the day after, which would have suited me better. But I now know that when this happens again.
Today, September 24th, I recieved another text message. This time it read: Thank You. The blood you gave has now been used to the benefit of a patient”. It’s brilliant. I get to feel good twice from one donation!
I wish that the rest of the county council could show it’s “customers” the same consideration. And not only the county council. There are many businessess that could learn a lesson or two from the Blood donor central.
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