Rotaract Club of Kota Melaka: One donour can save three lives!

Reported by IPP Wee Yik Chuang / Rtr Eugene Tan

Every year, many people get into accidents, many people got sick and the blood kept in the blood bank never seemed to be sufficient. So every year, the Rotaract Club of Kota Melaka organises a blood donation drive to help our blood bank replenish their collection. Similar to last year, the blood donation drive is held in conjunction with World Rotaract Week.

On 17th March 2007, headed by our organising chairperson Rotaractor Susan, we gathered at the top floor of Mahkota Parade at about 10am. Our blood donation campaign was conducted at a vacant space next to the cinema. The management of Mahkota Parade was kind enough to let us use the place free of charge. The blood bank personnel from the Melaka General Hospital, headed by Madam Annie, arrived soon after and we helped her and her staff to set up the chairs and tables. We started registering donours at 11am. Our duty wais to convince potential donours and register them. After that, the rest will be taken care of by the hospital staff.

Registration was handled by two members of our club, while the rest of us armed with flyers went around trying to convince the public to donate. It started out slow as there were not many people around in the morning. But the pace picked up come afternoon as more people patron the shopping complex. There were many donours who frequently donate blood and these people needed no convincing. They carry their blood donation book wherever they go. Persuading new donours to donate proved to be quite a task because many people are actually afraid of the big needle poking into them and draining their blood. There were also concerns that they might get some diseases from the needle. So we had to explain that all needles used are new and sterile and the old ones are thrown away and that there is no pain but it felt like a mosquito bite to new donours. All this proved to be quite a lot of work as many people are ignorant about all this.

We set out to get 35 bags of blood. At the end of the day, at 3pm, we managed to collect 47 bags of blood. It was a successful project as we collected more than we targeted. And of course, it is always rewarding to be able to help serve the community. After all the talking and everyone feeling more thirsty than tired, our fellow Rotaractor Lenny Chee had kindly donated two boxes of mineral water to quench our thirsts. We also like to acknowledge President Kua Chong Beng for contributing towards our lunch. After helping the hospital staff packed up, we all dismissed and headed back home.