Building and sustaining donor capacity: employees of Russia’s largest automobile plant donated blood more than 15,000 times

For about 50 years, the Samara Regional Clinical Blood Transfusion Station has been cooperating with AvtoVAZ, the largest manufacturer of passenger cars in Eastern Europe.

About 50% of donors donating blood or its components in Tolyatti are employees. Donors donate blood both at on-site donor events organized directly at the car plant, and by visiting a blood transfusion station. Over the past three years, the Blood Service has conducted over 180 donor events, and employees have donated blood or its components approximately 15,000 times.

One of these events was recently visited by the Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Russian Federation on Industry and Trade, First Vice-President of the Union of Mechanical Engineers of Russia Vladimir Gutenev. He thanked the organizers and employees of the enterprise for the long-term social cooperation.

“The Union of Mechanical Engineers actively supports the donor movement at many industrial enterprises, and AvtoVAZ is one of the leaders. Thanks to donors, including employees of the car plant, the needs of regional medical organizations for high-quality, safe blood components for transfusion to patients in need are met. This is a significant contribution to preserving the health of the region’s residents. Such cooperation not only needs to be preserved, but also developed,” noted Vladimir Gutenev.

At the end of the event, Vladimir Gutenev presented the departmental award of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency for active and long-term assistance in the development and preservation of the donor potential of the region, as well as contribution to preserving the health and life of residents of the Samara region to the Elena Kudinova, chief transfusiologist of the Ministry of Health of Russia for the Volga Federal District, deputy director for medical unit of the Samara Regional Clinical Blood Transfusion Station.

“The Blood Service of the Samara Region was one of the first to enter into an Agreement on Social Cooperation with the regional branch of the Union of Mechanical Engineers of Russia. The first Agreement was signed in 2015, after which it was extended twice. It is worth noting that other enterprises and organizations that are members of the Union of Mechanical Engineers are also actively participating in the development of the donor movement in the region. Enterprises work for the development of the country’s industrial potential, and the Blood Service and donors help preserve human potential. By donating blood, donors protect the life and health of patients who need transfusions of components,” noted Elena Kudinova.