Blood Donation 2008

Remember that event I mentioned where I found out about my "health problems"? Well, I've finally remembered to post the pictures! Hehe.

It was an event I organized on behalf of the Omega Leo Club of Monash University on April the 21st and 22nd. We invited the National Blood Bank over for two days and we also got the National Kidney Foundation to drop by with their health screening bus (it's a huge long bus set up like a clinic).

Anyway, here are the pics. The photos were taken with my 2.0MP Sony Ericsson k530i. Didn't bring my better camera with me since my mom was using it. (All photos in my blog will, from now on, be clickable thumbnails. The previous food post reminded me of why I've always put up clickable thumbnails.)

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Blood Donation, 21 - 22 April 2008


Registration first. Here's where leo members are stationed to explain to blood donors as to what are they supposed to do. There are certain forms to fill for first timers and certain criteria to be made clear as not everyone can donate (like me).


Here, they check for blood type and weight. If you can make out the table just to the left of the one in front, that's where they check your blood pressure and finalize whether you're truly fit to donate blood. Here, I found out I had low blood pressure and that I am not fit to donate blood. Boo!


9-10 AM when they were first setting up.


Our first few donors. It seems that people take to blood donation very readily. A lot wanted to donate and most were extremely disappointed when they found out they couldn't. A total of 191 registered and 149 were eligible to donate. The rest found out they couldn't donate before they could register.


Donors were given bread, milo, cookies and even zinc pills. These are especially for those who might become anemic after losing blood.


As you can see, we were in open space. The concourse area to be exact. This is where almost all students had to pass through in the uni so it was pretty strategic.


Lots of people came and the NBB team were almost always busy. They told me on the second day that they'd prefered it if I invited them over for longer as it would lessen their work and they could get more response.

Health Screening, 21 April 2008


Actually, not only students were interested in donating blood but staff members too! I couldn't tell them apart at the registration counter at first but I recognized some of them here at the health screening bus. They're all waiting for their turn to board the bus and beginning their check up. (It's priced at RM2 per health check. But I found out later that there were others who gave more.)


Waiting in between stations. They have seats inside the bus as well. There are about 6 stations altogether. You get your initial blood pressure checked at the first, BMI at the second, waist circumference at the third, urine analysis at the fourth, blood glucose and cholesterol at the fifth, and counseling at the sixth. Yes, you get counselled.


The first, third and fourth stations. The second station was behind me and the picture didn't turn out well at all. (Not that the pictures here are perfect...) But as you can see, they're really just small tables where you sit across the health screening team and they tell you your results on the spot.


The blood test station... how can my cholesterol level be high when my blood pressure is low???!!


The counselling station... I was told NOT to eat loads of stuff. Others were told to cut down on everything I was forbidden to eat! Then again, they didn't have high cholesterol like me...


Outside again, the waiting area. That guy standing there made sure that everyone had a registration form and that they entered the bus in turn.


The bus was pretty long so they took awhile to actually park where they parked. It's at the foyer, a stone's throw away from the blood donation area.

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That's it for the event post. I haven't planned an event like this since... high school! Lol! And this was a dual event too. So many people to communicate. I had forgotten about that part. The part where you have to talk to people and make sure everyone's happy with what you have decided. The making sure they were happy part was... tough. I'm glad I had the help I had.