CAIRO: In spite of the severe violence and ongoing battles in Tahrir Square, the blood transfusion ward in Qasr al-Aini hospital in downtown Cairo today looked fairly empty. A request to donate blood at the reception was warmly welcomed. Inside the clinic, a handful of young boys and men lay regaining strength after donating their 350 milliliters, set to be transferred to those injured in the ongoing massacre in Tahrir. The smiled, though she had just worked through the night. Her male colleague, a nurse technician, told us about the hundreds who had undergone blood transfusions through the night. As of this morning, blood donors are needed, and the transfer is quick and almost pain free, doctors at the hospital told Bikyamasr.com. The male nurse says that he is unsure about who is to blame for the violence in the square; despite witnessed an outpouring of wounded and dead through the night. He is not convinced that the fight in Tahrir is legitimate, he explains. “It is hard to tell. Sometimes I think the protesters might be beating the police. The police are with the people,” he concluded, giving voice to an opinion often heard in the streets in greater Cairo. Strong Egyptian State TV coverage has propagated the rumor that young, unpatriotic rioters have taken to the square to attack the army and police, sometimes successfully misinforming public opinion. “Tomorrow, my colleagues and I are going to police headquarters to receive donations of blood from the police forces,” he said. “The police will show that they are with the people by giving their blood,” he said, “around 50 liters!” BM
