Blood Donation Bus soon calling at stops in the Helsinki metropolitan area
Soon, you will be able to give blood in new surroundings when the Blood Donation Bus rolls into town. The bus, designed specifically for blood donation, will tour the Helsinki metropolitan area, offering a new way to reach blood donors in addition to Blood Service centres and blood donation events.
Starting next week, Finland’s first mobile blood donation unit will take the roads as the Blood Service’s Blood Donation Bus begins operating in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The bus will stop at workplaces, educational institutions, and public donation points such as shopping centres. The bus will not move while people are giving blood.
The Blood Donation Bus will strengthen the donation network in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Pirjo Grön, Manager of the Mobile Blood Service in Southern Finland, says that the new blood donation unit aims to get closer to people and make it easier for them to give blood.
“The Blood Donation Bus will enable donations to be arranged in locations where we previously could not find suitable spaces for blood donation. It will also enable blood to be collected at companies where the number of donors has previously been too low to arrange a traditional donation event on the company’s premises.”
The Blood Donation Bus will also make the Blood Service more flexible and agile, as the personnel and donation facilities can move from place to place.
Same method of donation
Up to four people at a time can give blood aboard the Blood Donation Bus, and the donation method is the same as anywhere else. However, because the space is limited, blood donors cannot be accompanied by friends, family members or children while donating blood.
People giving blood for the first time cannot donate blood in the Blood Donation Bus, although they can come and see the donation process and give a blood sample so their blood group can be determined.
Please make an appointment and fill in the health survey in advance, whether you are considering giving blood for the first time or are an experienced donor. The personnel will be happy to help first-time donors make an appointment to give blood at a fixed donation centre or blood donation event.
Initially, the bus will operate in the Helsinki metropolitan area 3–4 days a week. Timetables and appointments are available at verenluovutusbussi.fi.
“This is an important new experiment in activating blood donors by bringing a donation point to them. We will test various donation sites as part of this pilot project and use it as the basis for developing our operations,” the Blood Service says.
