Preventive Strike of Blood Donors to Take Part on 20 June
On 14 June at the Scientific Research Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion the honorary blood donor Ihar Kavalenka returned the medal ‘Honorary Donor of Belarus’ back to the officials. In his interview with RFE/RL he thusly commented on his decision: ‘In the case the state stops supporting donors and deprives them of benefits medals to them become just clear plates’.
As witnesses by the official statistics, 1/3 of the Belarusian population had to use donors’ blood at least once. The director of the Hematology Institute Mikhail Patapniou says that the blood supply in Belarus is created by more than 2 million volunteers. ‘I understand that my state position means nothing without donors. However, their number remains the same: about 200-300 persons a day give blood.’
At present more than 40 000 people in Belarus are honorary donors. Now the state deprives them from discounts for medicines and sanatorium vouchers, pension bonuses and free tooth filling.
In Mahiliou donors have stated their intention to stop giving blood and plasma. Today the initiator of the action Ihar Kavalenka called the exact day when the preventive strike of donors would be held.
‘On 20 June there will be a preventive strike. Mahiliou authorities tried to shame me, but I answered: ‘In the case the donors will rest this week – please, officials, be kind enough to pass your own blood and save some lives by it. You can do it in the case you think you are humane and declare those who declared a preventive strike just bad guys.’
According to Kavalenka, more than 120 honorary donors from Mahiliou, Minsk, Brest and Vitsebsk regions have already stated their readiness to join the strike.
