Česky
The transfusion station in the Hořovice hospital is the largest collection point in the Central Bohemia Region. Several dozen people come there every day and decide to help others by donating a piece of themselves.
"Despite the difficult situation that a large number of people have gotten into due to COVID-19, we made 11,266 donations last year," says Jana Šrámková, head nurse of the blood transfusion station and, as the donors say, "the heart of the Hořovice blood transfusion centre". "We were pleasantly surprised that people were not afraid and came to donate at regular intervals. We have to remember that very likely the pandemic would have had a greater number of deaths without these donors. The most common questions recently have been about the COVID-19 vaccination and how long after vaccination donors can come in to donate. If they have been given the AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson vaccine the time limit is 28 days, if the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine it is after 7 days."
"World Blood Donor Day has been commemorated at the Horovice Transfusion Station for several years. Unfortunately, this year's pandemic situation did not allow us to celebrate in our traditional spirit, when we organize a private concert of a well-known band only for our donors. So this year, everyone has to celebrate today on their own and to make the celebration more pleasant, everyone who came to donate blood today took a bottle of red wine to replenish their blood cells," adds Petra Horáková, spokesperson for the hospital in Hořovice and Beroun.
"We welcome donors with blood group 0 negative the most, because these are the so-called universal donors who can donate blood even to a person with a different type of blood group," says the head nurse, adding: "Whether we are giving out wine today or trinkets on other days, all donors will confirm to me that the feeling that they have been able to help someone is priceless."
