Australian Red Cross Lifeblood donors

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood highest rate of donors by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare workers

Transcript

00:00 [ Background noise ]

00:14 >> So I'm Megan Phelan.

00:15 I work at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

00:17 and I've been there just over a year and a half.

00:19 >> And this is your first time donating?

00:21 >> Yes, blood or plasma, yeah.

00:23 >> Okay. And why, what made you decide to donate now?

00:27 >> I think it's just something I've always wanted to do

00:29 and the AHW make it really like an easy process.

00:33 They pick you up and take you back and you can go

00:35 with colleagues and just makes you a little bit more

00:37 comfortable so, yeah, it's well encouraged in the organization.

00:40 I think that's a big reason.

00:41 >> The Red Cross Lifeblood Donor Centre,

00:43 we have our donors come in to donate.

00:46 They can do different types of donations

00:50 from blood donation, plasma and platelets.

00:52 They go through a questionnaire first to be able to donate

00:56 to ensure that they're safe for them and safe

00:59 for the patients to receive their blood.

01:01 They'll have a little health check with our nurses and sit

01:05 in our chairs and make their donation

01:09 and then get spoilt rotten having a refreshment at the end.

01:13 For a blood donation, we say allow an hour for your donation.

01:18 You're in the chair for 10 to 15 minutes.

01:21 For plasma, you're in the chair for 40 to 45 minutes

01:25 and platelets is just a little longer than the plasma donation.

01:29 But we do say you include the time for your interviews

01:35 and the refreshments at the end.

01:37 >> Lifeblood Champion recruits donors from the workplace,

01:41 organizes group donations and follows them up and supports them

01:48 through the donation process and organizes donations for Lifeblood.

01:55 >> I personally donate platelets and I donate every two weeks.

02:00 I donate platelets simply

02:03 because that's what my blood is suitable for.

02:06 [ Background noise ]