Blood, I Smell Blood: Health Carnival Week
72 students registered for it. But only 58 were eligible to donate. That was the statistics for the blood donation drive held here in our very own campus in conjunction with the Health Carnival organized by Doctors of Tomorrow (DOT) Club alongside the Student Council and LEO Club.
The Health Carnival kicked off at 12.30pm on Friday the 7th, but for DOT club members, preparation began two weeks before. According to Aishah Azri, Public Relations Officer of DOT Club, she had to make many calls to “every hospital listed in Google Maps!” before finally University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) came to the rescue four days prior to the event. “When they called me in the middle of Biology class saying they would be able to conduct the blood donation drive, I couldn’t help myself and screamed in the middle of the lesson.”
While Aishah was busy calling hospitals, other DOT club members were busy with their own tasks. Seven groups of fives were given the task to set up an info gallery about health related issues, such as smoking, H1N1, obesity and even sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). “It took me three days, and two hours of lunch to put it all together with my group”, says Tan Yeng Ying who was in charge of the STD info gallery. Suffice to say, the info gallery achieved their goal in creating awareness among the people who visited the carnival. Who knew that the flu and having a cold are actually two different things?
As soon as the event started, many eager faces swarmed the blood donation registration booth outside the Beta Theatre. Among the early birds was Ms. Cheryl who donated 450ml of blood. CAL Programme Coordinator, Mr. Hariandra Muthu and Malaysian Studies lecturer, Mr. Williams also took part in the blood donation. Upon registration, hopeful donors were asked a few questions as standard procedure such as “Have you eaten your lunch?”, “Are you feeling healthy today?” and “Did you have a minimum of 5 hours of sleep yesterday?” When invited by their friends to join in, students who were reluctant used this information to get out of donating.
Having been through the experience, the process of donating blood was anything but scary. After registering, we made our way into the Beta Theatre where we went through a health check conducted by a doctor from UMMC. There, your blood pressure was checked and following that was another round of standard procedure questions. A blood group test was then conducted.
After that, you made your way to a bed with your soon-to-be-filled blood pack, where the friendly nurses set you up. Honestly, the prick was a little bit of a sting, greater than the typical “ant bite” feeling, but after that the process was a breeze. Within 10 to 15 minutes you were done and you were given a cup of Milo and cupcakes to restore your glucose level.
Another attraction at the Health Carnival was the free health check services conducted by Sunway Medical Centre. There, you were able to check your BMI, blood pressure and glucose level. Also present at the carnival was the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) who took the opportunity to promote their upcoming major event, Relay For Life on the 29th and 30th of May at MSN Training Stadium Bukit Jalil.
By the end of the day, the organizers and the donors had plenty to smile about, knowing that they contributed to society, staying true to the slogan “A pint in time saves lives.”
By SITI AISYA BT. AMINUDDIN BAKI
The Health Carnival kicked off at 12.30pm on Friday the 7th, but for DOT club members, preparation began two weeks before. According to Aishah Azri, Public Relations Officer of DOT Club, she had to make many calls to “every hospital listed in Google Maps!” before finally University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) came to the rescue four days prior to the event. “When they called me in the middle of Biology class saying they would be able to conduct the blood donation drive, I couldn’t help myself and screamed in the middle of the lesson.”
While Aishah was busy calling hospitals, other DOT club members were busy with their own tasks. Seven groups of fives were given the task to set up an info gallery about health related issues, such as smoking, H1N1, obesity and even sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). “It took me three days, and two hours of lunch to put it all together with my group”, says Tan Yeng Ying who was in charge of the STD info gallery. Suffice to say, the info gallery achieved their goal in creating awareness among the people who visited the carnival. Who knew that the flu and having a cold are actually two different things?
As soon as the event started, many eager faces swarmed the blood donation registration booth outside the Beta Theatre. Among the early birds was Ms. Cheryl who donated 450ml of blood. CAL Programme Coordinator, Mr. Hariandra Muthu and Malaysian Studies lecturer, Mr. Williams also took part in the blood donation. Upon registration, hopeful donors were asked a few questions as standard procedure such as “Have you eaten your lunch?”, “Are you feeling healthy today?” and “Did you have a minimum of 5 hours of sleep yesterday?” When invited by their friends to join in, students who were reluctant used this information to get out of donating.
Having been through the experience, the process of donating blood was anything but scary. After registering, we made our way into the Beta Theatre where we went through a health check conducted by a doctor from UMMC. There, your blood pressure was checked and following that was another round of standard procedure questions. A blood group test was then conducted.
A student undergoing routine check before donating blood
After that, you made your way to a bed with your soon-to-be-filled blood pack, where the friendly nurses set you up. Honestly, the prick was a little bit of a sting, greater than the typical “ant bite” feeling, but after that the process was a breeze. Within 10 to 15 minutes you were done and you were given a cup of Milo and cupcakes to restore your glucose level.
Another attraction at the Health Carnival was the free health check services conducted by Sunway Medical Centre. There, you were able to check your BMI, blood pressure and glucose level. Also present at the carnival was the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) who took the opportunity to promote their upcoming major event, Relay For Life on the 29th and 30th of May at MSN Training Stadium Bukit Jalil.
By the end of the day, the organizers and the donors had plenty to smile about, knowing that they contributed to society, staying true to the slogan “A pint in time saves lives.”
By SITI AISYA BT. AMINUDDIN BAKI
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