Blood Donor Day at ARMZ Uranium Holding Co.

On December 4, ARMZ Uranium Holding Co. held a charitable blood donation event. The event was organized by the company’s HR office that endeavored best efforts to make the first Blood Donor Day in the corporate history not just memorable, but also meaning something more than merely a one-time occurrence. Within the framework of cooperation with the Podari Zhizn Foundation (Gift of Life), a health care facility in acute need of volunteers’ assistance was chosen.

Early in the morning, a mobile blood transfusion station of the Bakulev Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery drove up to the building. Incidentally, to park a 10-meter long vehicle in the narrow street, the event organizers started to reserve parking space as early as the previous evening.
As it soon became evident, this was worth doing. There were many of those who wanted to donate their blood and help other people, for whom it is vital. These were employees from ARMZ Uranium Holding Co. and its affiliated companies, including JSC RUSBURMASH, JSC VNIPIpromtechnologii and JSC PIMCU. Some subdivisions took part in the event almost en masse. For example, staff of the Security Directorate of the managing company followed the lead of their director, Yuri Tokmachev.

“Our division participates in charitable events every year. Blood donation is not an exception. We are healthy people and we ought to help those in need,” Yuri Tokmachev says. “Treatment facilities are constantly in need of blood, and I hope that our contribution will help save many lives.”
Accidental passers-by, who saw the mobile station and could not remain indifferent, also made their contribution.

However, simple desire to become a blood donor is not enough. Strict selection criteria do not allow anybody who wants to participate in blood donation. Thus, only 34 volunteers out of 70 were really able to render their assistance.

A doctor explains, “The thing is that our center specializes in medical treatment, and blood that we are taking today will be used to cure children suffering from heart diseases. At the center, we operate on infants who are only two or three days old, and therefore they need the purest blood without any deficiencies. Even an influenza vaccine inoculated several months ago is a counter-indication, not mentioning catarrhal and other virus diseases.

As such, the blood collection procedure is simple and unpainful. Today, a standard amount of donated blood equals 450 ml, and an average duration of the collection procedure is 10 minutes. Not to feel faint, doctors recommend that donors should have a substantial breakfast, drink hot tea and eat something sweet. The HR office took care of providing meal to all potential donors. Meanwhile, soft chairs and professional medical personnel made the conditions for blood donation as comfortable as possible.

“Today’s event is a perfect chance to do something good almost without leaving a workplace,” Financial Director of ARMZ Uranium Holding Co. Sergey Migalin shared his impressions, lying in donor’s chair. “I am confident that such events must be widespread. I would suggest that all companies working in the industry join this initiative, and for this tradition to be continued I would pass the baton further, for instance, to such a large company as JSC TVEL.

Currently, blood shortage is an acute problem worldwide. Solely in Moscow, annual demand is estimated at 200 liters. The majority of the event participants expressed their willingness to share blood on a regular basis; in response, the organizers promised to make this event a tradition.