Over 360 students donated blood earlier this month when DCU’s blood donation clinic returned to The Hub.
The Venue was home to a pop-up blood donations clinic for three days, which was set up by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).
A total of 366 students attended the clinic from November 10th to the 12th, and over 235 units of blood were successfully collected over the three days.
“It is so comforting to look at these figures and see how young students came in such numbers to offer to help others with no gain for themselves. Ireland’s future is indeed brighter with these young citizens,” IBTS reported. “Those 235 units of blood will enhance the care of many patients young and old over the next few days and indeed save many lives” they added.
Close to 3,000 blood donations are needed each week in Ireland. At present, only 3 per cent of the Irish population give blood regularly. Giving blood takes approximately 8-15 minutes. The total volume of blood taken during a typical donation is 470ml, less than a pint.
In order to be eligible to give blood, you must be between the ages of 18 and 60 and weigh between 50kg and 130kg. Pregnant women or women that were pregnant in the past 12 months cannot give blood. The IBTS will not accept blood from men who have had sex with other men. Anybody who has had a tattoo or body piercing in the last four months is also not eligible to donate.
Alia Luddy, a first year Law and Society student who donated said: “The process was a bit slow, I was waiting a good while to donate, but it was understandable considering how many people were donating when I arrived.”
“Everyone running the clinic was really nice and were a bit of craic too”, she added.
Hayley Halpin
Image Credit: Nicola Leddy
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