CAIRO: Specialists in charge of the national blood donation campaign are unable to attract donors to their many ambulances dotting the city. Despite the hot weather and the possibility of spending the whole day without securing the required quota, the campaign persists, trying to grab the attention of passersby, but only few are responding. In addition to the heat wave hitting the country as the summer peaks, the focus of campaigners on metro stations where people are always in a rush could have deterred potential donors. "But our presence is necessary to show that the benevolent acts of donors will always be needed to secure decent reserves at the blood bank, Ahmed Rushdy, a physician that attended to one ambulance set up close to Maadi metro station told The Daily Star Egypt. "On average we manage to get 30 donors on our working days that last from 9 am to 5 pm. But the number of donors tends to go down at this time of the year, said Rushdy. He added: "The majority of the donors are students and fresh graduates, but they are now busy with exams. Rushdy noted that apart from emergencies, their work seasonal. There are times certain times when people rush to give their blood, he said. He pointed out that the contaminated blood bags scandal had taken its toll on the campaign. "But we have managed to get over these circumstances by calling on companies and inviting employees to donate blood. Many showed initiative. "Now we are back again on the streets to remind people that this is a public issue which shouldn't be restricted to one category, said Rushdy, as his assistants approached pedestrians who rushed by, their faces combined expressions of unease and indifference. Commented Rushdy: "I understand people do feel uneasy when they have to be exposed to simple tests and syringes on the spot, but all our tools are packed and disposable. To use attractions like a small meal or a new food product to encourage people to consider the act is risky. He explained that people might stop only to get the meal and fill in the medical questionnaire with the wrong information. "We simply have to publicize blood donation as a pure act of charity.
