Donating Blood in Tanzania Is Fast

Always having blood reserves at hand when they are most needed is crucial for all hospitals around the world, so all managers attempt to attract people into donating, by offering all sorts of rewards for it. And while in the US or the UK the process can take up to an hour to complete, in Tanzania things look a little bit different. There, everything is done in approximately 20 minutes, and the “volunteers” are often picked out from the relatives of the person in need of a transfusion.

Giving blood in the US can be a very tricky procedure. There are numerous forms to fill, various questions that need answers, and numerous other formalities to complete before finally rolling up the sleeve. And even then, doctors ask patients to stand still for a while and to have some cookies and juice after they finish donating, to prevent them from fainting. In all, the donor hangs around the hospital for about an hour, until all the procedures are complete, and the blood is harvested and stored.

In the city of Dodoma, Tanzania, things couldn't be more straightforward. Reporters present there saw a scene that they didn't think would be possible. A woman was hurried in, requiring an O type blood transfusion, which was very rare and difficult to come by. Because they had no blood in reserve, doctors took to the hallways, selected two family members, and rushed them into an adjacent room. There, drops of blood from their fingers were harvested.

A quick test showed that they had an O blood type and that they were HIV negative, the second main concern when it came to blood transfusion in Africa. Then, an orderly directly tapped their veins and placed the container on the floor, while blood exited the donors' bodies only helped by gravity and the pulse. In approximately 15 minutes all the procedures were done, and medics resumed their activities on the victim.

There were no cookies beforehand or after, no resting times and other such commodities. In some areas of the world, this is regarded as luxury. In Dodoma, the donors were given cotton wads dripped with alcohol to sterilize the wounds, and were hurried out of the room, without fainting or feeling ill.