Comenius University organizes the seventh University Drop of Blood
“For you it’s just a drop, but for someone else it’s life itself.” This is the message behind the seventh annual University Drop of Blood, the largest blood donation drive among Slovak universities, which is being organized by Comenius University in partnership with the National Transfusion Service of the Slovak Republic.
The University Drop of Blood, which Comenius University – as Slovakia’s largest tertiary institution – has been organizing since 2010, is welcoming blood donors to six locations from 7 to 10 November and from 14 to 16 November 2016. This charitable event is open to all students and staff of the university as well as the general public.
The seventh year of this event will traditionally commence at the Faculty of Law (Monday 7 November), after which time it will move to the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport (Tueday 8 November), the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences (Wednesday 9 November), and the Faculty of Management (Thursday 10 November). Then for three days, from Monday 14 November to Wednesday 16 November, the University Drop of Blood will be at the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin will join the event on Tuesday 15 November with a mobile blood donation station being set up in the university dormitory.
“I am confident that the seventh year of this event will be a case of being seven times lucky, and that we will get even more than the 400 to 500 donors we have had in previous years. I would like to express my gratitude and respect to all donors as well as to all of those who every year have helped us make this an annual university tradition,” said Comenius University Rector, Professor Karol Mičieta, who is convinced that this year’s University Drop of Blood will attract a lot of first-time donors.
The aim of this event is to encourage students to get into the habit of regularly giving blood, which is one of the most precious of liquids. In Slovakia alone, around 180,000 units of red blood cells are used each year. A unit of donated blood can help up to three people and is processed into three different components: red blood cell concentrate, blood platelets, and fresh frozen plasma. Blood is used every day to save lives after accidents and operations, organ transplants, and also in treatment for cancer patients, who are increasing in number every year.
The partners of the seventh annual University Drop of Blood are Nestlé, FAnn-parfumérie, dm drogerie markt, RAJO, DRU, Dr. Oetker, Intersnack, RAUCH, Hamé, Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa, Mitická and Dopravný podnik Bratislava.