Holzkirchen is developing into a blood donation bastion: The year 2021 started with a donor record.
The new online booking system has proven itself.
Holzkirchen
- “It was gigantic,” says Markus Probst, “we were completely exhausted.” Yesterday, two days after the latest blood donation appointment in Holzkirchen, the on-call manager of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) in the market town is still very euphoric and grateful: The Citizens from Holzkirchen, Otterfing, Valley and Warngau have given the BRK blood donation service a new record date in Holzkirchen: 277 people came to the school on Baumgartenstrasse to donate blood, 42 of whom were first-time donors.
"In 2019, an average of 160, 170 people came to the blood donation appointments, in 2020 it was an average of 230 - and now we're starting the year with 277," says Probst.
"For us, this is a recognition of our voluntary work as willingness."
The appointment on Friday in Holzkirchen was a pilot test in the district: for the first time, blood donors were able to book a slot online in advance - in order to avoid too dense, intermittent queues in Corona times and waiting times for the donors.
Every quarter of an hour between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. there were appointments for twelve loungers, and a total of 250 slots were available.
"All appointments were booked days in advance," reports Probst.
Fortunately, there are still four loungers as a buffer in case someone needs a little more rest time after donating blood: All 27 people who simply came to the appointment because they could no longer book a slot could be used there.
The booking system is well received by blood donors
There has only been positive feedback for the booking system, says the Holzkirchner on-call manager.
"We will definitely keep that." The waiting times have been reduced to a minimum.
Probst knows that the one that stayed was often used for advice at a distance and of course with a face mask.
Each donor needed a little more than the promised half an hour on average for the appointment for the blood donation.
After Holzkirchen seems to be developing into a blood donation bastion, Probst is considering whether and how one could expand the capacities.
Perhaps the blood donation service could send a team and a half or even two to the appointments.
Or do you introduce a second cycle at the usual rhythm of 56 days - which the body needs at least as a break between two blood donations?
One thing is clear: the need for blood donation replenishments for operations and transfusions does not run out.
Not because some of the blood can only be kept for a few weeks.
Also read: Blood donations in times of corona - is it also safe? That's what a helper says
ag
