Description
Blood is a mixture of water, salts and billions of small cells and particles that keep the organism alive. It fulfills countless tasks and supplies the organs and tissue. The composition and structure are so complex that it is not yet possible to produce blood artificially. It must be generated through donations, and in such large numbers that there are enough blood supplies available at all times. They are used in surgeries, emergency care and to treat illnesses. But blood becomes a scarce resource, especially in times of crisis. “The Northern Reportage” follows the blood cycle from the donation to the life-saving use of blood donation. At the Lütjensee Institute for Transfusion Medicine in Schleswig-Holstein, the camera team accompanies the complex steps of processing the donated blood into preparations that are immediately delivered to clinics in the region. “The chance to save up to three lives with a blood donation should encourage every healthy person to donate,” says institute director Professor Jürgen Ringwald. In addition, anyone could find themselves in the situation of being dependent on donor blood. The report shows this with impressive images in the emergency room at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) in Kiel. A lack of blood supplies can have fatal consequences. Operations in which blood loss has to be compensated for with transfusions would also be impossible. And last but not least, donated blood helps patients who need regular blood donations due to illnesses. Only enough blood supplies can ensure a comprehensive supply. But only three percent of a possible 33 percent of all Germans go to donation appointments. In order to make blood donation more attractive, young people from Kiel, in collaboration with the UKSH, have developed an app that, thanks to modern features, provides valuable knowledge quickly and easily and offers a service such as retrieving your own blood values. Donating blood, a small act that can save everyone’s life in an emergency.
Actor
Shipment information
OT
Original title:
Life giver and life saver
Broadcast:
Thursday 02:12-02:12
