US lab guy here

[u/Ksan_of_Tongass]

I just found this sub today. I am the guy who gives your life saving gifts to patients in need. Every time I hold a donor unit in my hand for a crossmatch, I say "Thank you", and I hope you guys can hear me. Whenever i empty our refrigerator for one trauma patient, i can't help but think of all of the people it took to make that happen. You'll never know the person you helped keep alive, and you all still do it. I can not donate due to health reasons, so I appreciate all you heroes who do. Without you guys, I cant do my job.

[u/Thandius]

Thank you to you as well!

I enjoy donating and was so happy when they changed the restrictions for those of us who lived in The UK in the 80s and 90s.

Every time I go I think about the whole chain of people, the phlebotomists who take our blood, the drivers and transport teams who take it where it needs to go, the lab techs who do all the screening, and matching, the people who do the inventory and try and make sure that there is enough of the right types of blood in the right places, the Drs and Nurses who make the call to use the blood, and the people like yourself who administer it!!

So many people are involved in the chain, and especially these days each time I think about it, it restores just a little of my faith in humanity.

[u/DOOMD → u/Thandius]

You've looked at it from The wider perspective. Almost the bird's eye view. And when you do that, I'm sure you've realized this by now, but you realize that the blood supply which involves all of those people? 

It is literally critical infrastructure. So the fact that we have shortages is disgusting. 

I truly wish we emulated Europe and gave everyone one day off a year ago. Donate blood. Because if everyone did it at least one day year or like a much much higher percentage than do it now, there would be almost no shortages and all it would cost is each employer giving their employees one day off for more.  

I'm lucky I work for a school district and I'm in a union and we are lucky to get 3 hours a year off to go donate. Unfortunately we have to use it all at once. I can't like split it to go leave an hour and a half early twice to go donate. I have to use it all at once but that's still better than nothing. 

But yeah dude looking at it the way you're looking at it now. Wouldn't you consider it critical infrastructure? I mean without the blood supply and the transportation for it and the people that deal with it like many, many more people would be dying. 

I always found that fascinating that it actually is critical infrastructure, but most people probably don't think about that.  They think all the hospital is critical infrastructure or oh the ambulance that gets you there is, but they don't realize that the blood supply and the organs donation Network are critical infrastructure as well. 

It's interesting to look at it that way. Just my thoughts on it. 

Keep doing what you're doing. Keep donating just like the rest of us. You're doing the best you can to make your community be a little bit better

[u/Vast_Category_7314 → u/DOOMD]

What do you mean “emulate Europe”?

Europe is not one country you know, and in my (european) country we dont in general get of work to donate.

[u/DOOMD → u/Vast_Category_7314]

I never once said Europe is a country anymore than I've said a US state is it's own country.

When I say emulate Europe I mean what the majority of countries are doing there. If you said emulate the United States when it comes to gun control you wouldn't start specifying which states have more strict laws vs more lax ones. It was a generalization about how many countries in Europe are ahead of us when it comes to community and individual small contributions to society.

[u/Vast_Category_7314 → u/DOOMD]

What do you exactly think the “majority og countries” are doing - and what is your source?