Since they have reduced doning blood to one day when the mobile unit arrives in town, (it saves on overnight accommodation costs for the team) the Blood Doning staff have had to close its doors to people for brief periods during the two, two hours sessions they receive potential donors. The volume of people arriving who truly wish to give their blood, now overwhelms the resources the workers have available for the task, and it makes progress to the donation couches extremely slow.
Unfortunately, and sadly, a percentage of people who are turned away, and those who leave because of the congestion and the extraordinary long wait, do not return to donate their blood. As yet, losing good will and donations is not an issue. Perhaps with a cost benefit analysis, it has been decided that the proportion of donations lost, is worth it!
Very eventually, having succeeded getting to the final waiting row, I found myself sitting next to a young primary school child, who was with her dad. Like me, he was patiently waiting to donate blood. I moved up a seat as one at the top of the row became free,leaving a seat free for the little girl, who had run off somewhere.
.....No, no, .....said dad,.... she's gone to see her mother whose up there, (he indicated at a split level floor ahead) she can sit on my lap if and when she comes back.
The little girl soon returned and in evident distress, crying.....they won't let mummy give, they won't take any. Dad looked at me, totally bemused, while comforting his little girl. He reassuringly told her, they would definitely take some blood from him!
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4 comments:
Now I know what doning means, ZACL. You have invented a lovely word.
I only doned once. I know there isn't an age limit, because I have a schoolfriend who proudly announces he's given his hundredth pint, and wants to get a good few more in before time's up. Have you promised any organs as well?
Did you done in the end? Or do I mean, were you done?
Oh yes Vincent, I doned, don't think I was done, apart from losing oodles of time. I did read my kindle in-between the musical chairs moments and had a chat with a guy about his early version of a smart phone and why he keeps a subscription going in a locality that doesn't have much use for what it can do.
Coped with a superior woman who wasn't going to move along unless there was a gap of more than 2 chairs, irrespective of the forming queue.
My blood doning history has been a bit chequered, especially in the early days in England. As you say, the rules have changed, no upper age limits unless you are totally unable to give. Apart from requiring mini health check - blood pressure taken each time I done blood - I can go on until I am still and in a box.
There are gaps in my pint giving, this applies to most people for a whole bunch of reasons.
What happened to the word "donate"? What happened to the English language?
It still exists... you will see 'donate' grammatically in context in paragraph two if you read the post. The English language is alive and lively, always evolving, not set in aspic.
People who are donors, donate a variety of donations, not just blood. The session described, was one of a few recent experiences of how donating blood, has become more difficult. Even passing on bags of useful clutter is not so easy now.
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