Presenter (Australian Male): Good
afternoon everyone and thank you for coming this
afternoon to
the University of Sydney. My name is Keith Durham and I’m a representative from
the Australian Blood Service which pairs up with the National Health Service to
bring health services to different universities. I’d like to talk a little bit
about why we’re having a blood drive here at the university and how you can get
involved.
First of all, we
host a blood drive here three times a year. It used to be two times per year,
but we’ve just increased
it this year. The drives will be once this month, October, again in February
and a third one in June. The drive will run for five days, from Tuesday until
Saturday in Room 207 and um . . . oh wait, no, the blood drive will be in room
317 of Huber’s Building in the centre of campus. It’s normally in 207 but we’ve
changed this year. And, uh, nurses will be available from 9:00 to 19:00 each
day of the drive. We’re in desperate
need of Type O blood, but we always take any no matter what your type, even if
it’s Type A or Type B. Donating typically takes about 50 minutes although this
time can fluctuate between 45 and 75 minutes just depending on how many people
are in line if there’s a wait. If you have any questions about the logistics,
feel free to ask me any questions you have after my talk. I also have pamphlets
for you.
Now, you might be
asking yourself, where does all this blood go? Most donated blood that we
collect is used for people with cancer, patients who need surgery, or victims
of severe accidents. On average, about 35% of donated blood goes cancer patients
and uh, 20% to surgical patients, while the remaining 45% goes to
accident-victims or people with other medical problems like organ diseases.
For those of you
who don’t know, we use several parts of the blood: platelets, plasma and red
cells. Platelets are important to help blood clot. It’s basically a small
circular-shaped cell fragment. Plasma
also helps with clotting and contains essential proteins and nutrients that can
save lives. Red cells are the most common type of cell found in blood and they,
uh, help deliver oxygen throughout the body. Unfortunately, these components of
blood have very different shelf lives, so, uh, we’re in constant need. If
you’re wondering, platelets only last about 5 days. Red cells are good for up
to a year, but, wait, excuse me, red cells are good for up to 42 days and
plasma can last a year.
As I said earlier,
anyone is welcome to donate blood as long as you’re between the ages of 18 and
70. If you’re 16 or 17, you may donate but you must have your parents’ consent.
We can only use blood from people that are reasonably healthy. If you’ve travelled
overseas recently, please let the nurses know ahead of time and they can
determine, based on where you’ve been, whether you’re eligible. Also, if you
have the flu, a cold or any other illness, you’re not allowed to donate at this
time. You must weigh more than 45kg.
On the day of your
donation, we ask that you drink plenty of fluids, particularly water, and eat
at least three hours. You’ll be asked to fill out a questionnaire before
donating. Afterwards, you’re welcome to stay for at least 20 minutes in the
rest area where we serve refreshments high in sugar as well as plenty of water
and sports drinks. For the six hours after donating, make sure to avoid alcohol
and cigarettes. Actually, we recommend 8 hours not 6 hours for staying free
from alcohol and tobacco.
If there are any
questions, please feel free to ask me now. I also have sign-up sheets if you’d
like to put your name down for a time to donate, or you may simply drop in
whenever is convenient for you. Thank you so much for your time.