Students organize charity action to collect blood in Sochi

About seventy students of the faculty of economics, technologies and mathematics of the State University of Tourism and Resort Activities in Sochi have voluntarily given their blood, and they intend to use the earned money to buy diapers, toys and medicines for the babies abandoned by their parents and catered for at the Sochi infectious diseases hospital.
 
In the morning of March 17, two lecture halls of the university were adapted for medical offices. In one of them, specialists from the Sochi "Blood Transfusion Station" conducted preliminary medical examination, in the other - blood from volunteers was taken.
 
Three months ago doctors addressed the university for the first time with a request to render help in collecting donors' blood. This time, the students have taken the initiative themselves. "First, the group monitors gathered," relays Aida Karamova, monitor of the economics faculty, chair of the students' council, to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "We discussed the idea of a charity action. Then the monitors worked in their respective groups. Many students agreed. Those with normal health were all in favour. Very few people refused, those who are not recommended to donate their blood due to the state of health ".
 
Gayane Keshishian, first-year student, as many of her co-students, donated her blood for the first time. "It is a voluntary decision, I have decided myself. One must help people who are in need," said she.

"This action is a great help to us," relayed Natalia Nesterenko, chief of donor recruitment section of the Sochi "Blood Transfusion Station". According to her, the number of donors has been going down in recent years while the need for donor blood remains the same.

At one of the lecture hall where students formed a line they filled in questionnaires, showed their passports, had their arterial blood pressure checked and blood test taken. All were offered tea.

In the other lecture hall, blood was taken from four persons simultaneously. Two medical workers attended each of them, watching the donors' condition.
 
During the fifteen-minute procedure, the young students, each donating 350 to 450 grams of blood, felt normal. Each of them received 450 roubles in cash.