The Ministry of the Interior, the Slovenian Red Cross and the Institute of Transfusion Medicine are bound by a mutual cooperation agreement in promoting and developing blood donations.
Deficiencies in blood supply encountered by Slovenian hospitals can seriously threaten the lives of injured persons and patients that are in urgent need of blood and blood components. To satisfy the needs for blood, the Slovenian Red Cross organises extra blood donation sessions, in association with the Ministry of the Interior and the police.
There will be an extra blood donation session at the Institute of Transfusion Medicine on 13 and 14 August for employees of the Ministry of the Interior and the police.
How and where can you donate blood?
Blood can be donated at all transfusion departments in Slovenian hospitals and at the Institute of Transfusion Medicine, where you can also be listed in the records of voluntary and unrelated bone marrow donors and with Slovenia-Transplant for organ donations. Everyone who donates blood must wait at least three months before donating again (for men) and four months for women.
Before blood is donated, donors should have a light breakfast without fats - after the blood donation you will get a light meal!
Blood donation takes only seven or eight minutes, and 400 ml of blood is taken per person. Donors say that the intervention is painless - there may only be a little fear the first time you donate.
Pursuant to Article 169, paragraph 2 of the Employment Relationship Act, an employee has the right to have one free day for making a voluntary blood donation.
You can learn more about blood donation on the website of the Red Cross and Institute of Transfusion Medicine.
In 2007, more than 850 employees of the Ministry of the Interior and the police took part in three blood donation sessions (in March, June and November). This year, a rise in the number of blood donors has been observed, since the first session in March already had more than 370 blood donors.
Furthermore, our focus is on young representatives of the police, and therefore in February a blood donation session for cadets was organised. The wish of the organisers is that each generation of cadets have a chance to donate blood at least once during their schooling.
Employees of the Ministry of the Interior and the police represent important potential in terms of possible donors. Immediate superiors of units also have great influence by setting a good example for other employees for such humanitarian action.
A number of blood donors shared their opinions on blood donation with us:
David Pučko, organiser of the blood donor session
The Ministry of the Interior and the police have been cooperating in organising blood donor sessions since 2005. Three or four sessions are organised per year. This November, another one will be set up in order to attract new, young blood donors. For this reason, we are focusing on new cadets coming to Tacen in September, and perhaps we will be successful in attracting new blood donors. The nature of our vocation is to help people, and with blood donations we can take a further step to helping our fellow man.
Iztok Štucin, Manager of PD Postojna
I have been donating blood regularly, two or three times a year, for a few years now. Today this is my 30th donation. I decided to become a blood donor because of a family tradition, since my father was also a regular blood donor and because of sympathy for my fellow man and perhaps I will need blood myself some day. Policemen are generally aware that it is good to be a donor. My motto is to donate as long as we are healthy, because we never know when we will need blood ourselves.
Zdravko Kovač, PD Postojna
I donated blood regularly some years ago, and therefore it seemed right to come here again. There is no life without blood, and since there are many accidents it seems important to help my fellow man. You don't need to donate blood only when such sessions are organised - it's enough to have the confidence and the will to donate, help and perhaps also save someone's life.
Maruška Višnikar, Service of the Director General of the Police
I donated blood for the second time today - the first time was three years ago. I wasn't afraid or nauseous. When donating you think about how would it be if you needed the blood yourself. I wish for as many policemen as possible to decide to give blood, since good is rewarded with good.
Robert Šumi, Service of the Director General of the Police
I have taken part in a blood donation session for the eighth time, and this is an opportunity to help someone. It's not a pleasant feeling when you are pricked, but you accept it and it's not difficult. I think that such sessions encourage people to donate, however I'm convinced policemen are aware of the deeper meaning. Sympathy for your fellow man, being able to help others and do something for yourself - a good deed.