She Wants Your Blood

Why do you need RH negative blood so much now? Only three out of a thousand Han Chinese is RH negative, but in the West about 15 percent are, and Beijing is anticipating 500,000 foreign visitors for the Olympics. What is RH anyway? RH is the Rhesus antigen, which is present on the surface of red cells. The presence or absence of this antigen is known as the RH factor. What activities are you doing to get more RH negative blood? At the Expat Show we had a community blood drive in cooperation with the Chaoyang Blood Administration Center and the Beijing Red Cross. 146 people donated, for a total of 227 units, split into plasma and red blood cells. If I missed the blood drive at the Expat Show, how else can I donate? You can donate at a blood mobile or at the Beijing Red Cross. For anyone who wishes to donate but has trouble communicating in Chinese, our laboratory team will be happy to make the connection. I heard you were the first to donate blood at the Expat Show. What makes you think your blood is worthy of an Olympic gold medal? I think you have to lead by example. Giving blood is giving the gift of life. It’s not just for the Expat Show or the Olympics.

Details: Beijing United Family Hospital organizes several blood drives each year. For information, visit http://www.unitedfamilyhospitals.com/bj/index.html