In front of the blood donation points in Moscow, since Saturday morning, long queues of people wishing to help the victims of the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall have lined up. Despite assurances from doctors that all those received on March 22 from Krasnogorsk near Moscow were provided with blood and its components, people continued to stand in the rain. Many of them were still recovering from the shock, but were determined to support and assist those wounded as a result of the shooting in the Crocus concert hall and halls. At least 133 people became victims of the terrorist attack; rescuers continue to clear the rubble of the burnt building and warn that the death toll may rise. Read about what motivates people in Moscow and the region to donate blood and how collection points are organized in the Izvestia report.
“The least we can do”
Queues have formed at every blood collection point since Saturday morning. So, at the Blood Center named after. OK. Gavrilov of the Moscow Department of Health, those wishing to become donors occupied almost the entire territory along Polikarpov Street. And every minute there were more and more of them, even despite the bad weather. The medical facility had to move to the “until the last donor” operating mode.
According to the Moscow Department of Health, Over 2,000 residents and guests of the capital came to donate blood.
There are people on duty near each blood donation point police officers in full uniform – bulletproof vest and military weapons. Traffic police representatives stop cars passing nearby, check drivers' documents, and inspect the interior and contents of the trunk.
“Everything is calm, they are listening to our requests,” an employee of the State Traffic Inspectorate told Izvestia. — People are as polite and attentive as possible to each other.
People in the queue are periodically approached volunteers who bring hot tea to everyone, treat them to sandwiches and cookies.
Mosgortrans allocated 14 buses so that potential donors can stay warm and charge their phones. Biotoilets have also been installed at blood donation points.
Athletes also joined the donor campaign that brought people together on Saturday. Coaches and players of the Russian national football team were among the first to donate blood. whose friendly match with Paraguay was canceled due to the tragedy.
Don't pass by
Many of those who came to help the victims admitted to Izvestia that they could not believe what had happened.
– I'm still in shock. I can’t, and I don’t want to believe that so many innocent people died,” says Muscovite Anastasia. – My a friend was supposed to go to this concert and couldn’t at the last moment. I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened if she had arrived. Donating blood is the least we can do for those who were able to survive.
Despite waiting in the rain, no one in the crowd showed any irritation or nervousness.
— We must help each other. This tragedy is further proof that terror has no place in our world“, Muscovite Alexey Srednekov told Izvestia. — I want to help the victims, so I came to donate blood. I want to do at least something so that people who survived all this horror can recover and return to normal life.
People standing in line were constantly sharing news. The next message, which spoke of an increase in the death toll, was perceived as a personal tragedy.
– Hurt. I want to scream in pain. There must be justice! — Muscovite Marina said through tears. — These non-humans must be punished! But there is no time for bitterness. Our people are waiting for help, and we will not abandon them!
Sergey works taxi driver Last night he helped people at the scene of the tragedy. Today he decided to take a day off, but his conscience did not allow him to ignore the request to donate blood.
“I can’t imagine how you can pass by those who need our help the most.” All these women, children, men are wounded, scared. They need us, which means we will be there and do everything that depends on us,” he told Izvestia.
When there were too many people, everyone was asked to take an organized bus ride to another blood donation point. While the donors were boarding the transport, a helicopter flew up to the medical facility. According to doctors, it transports the necessary blood to hospitals in the capital and Moscow region.
All victims are provided with blood components, all requests from medical institutions are promptly processed, assured by the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA) of Russia.
– For now There are sufficient supplies of blood and its components. 880 liters of erythrocyte-containing components and 9 tons of plasma are ready for distribution at once,” noted there.
Tragedy brought people together
The blood center of the FMBA of Russia on Shchukinskaya Street has become another center of attraction for those wishing to donate biomaterial. There were also police officers and volunteers outside handing out tea and telling people where to go to donate blood.
Next to the building there is a mobile donation point, which, according to medical workers, was installed in order to redirect the queue there if necessary.
“A lot of people come,” a center employee told Izvestia. — No one crowds, no one creates chaos. The tragedy brought people together.
The FMBA Blood Center reported that by 15:00 more than 700 donors had already donated blood. In total, more than two thousand calls were received there from those who wanted to come, reported to the FMBA.
Donors were accepted simultaneously in 58 stationary chairs and 12 deployed mobile chairs.
The blood collection point works like clockwork, said a nurse at the FMBA Blood Center. At each device where a person lies, there is always a doctor standing and monitoring his condition.
— Even those who are afraid of blood come here,” the nurse said with a smile. “They immediately talk about it, but we calm them down. So far no one has lost consciousness.
It took one person only 10-15 minutes to donate blood.
All doctors admitted that they really appreciated people’s responsiveness. However, the blood of spontaneous donors will not be able to help the victims, the FMBA recalled, since it takes time to check donor blood, and it takes four months to release plasma from quarantine. If necessary, it is possible to contact regular donors institutions, they assured.
It is advisable to donate blood in the first half of the day; this can be done in the morning in the coming days, the Moscow Department of Health reminded.
According to the Ministry of Health of the Moscow Region, by 20.00 on March 23 the total number of donors who donated blood in the Moscow region exceeded 3,000 people; almost a ton of blood and its components were prepared in departments per day.
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