RSU staff and students actively participate in 11th RSU Health Day

During the day, 22.5 litres of blood were donated by 49 donors of which 26 were first-time donors. This amount could potentially save 147 lives! In total, 14 student interest groups with nearly 70 participants set up stalls at Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) annual Health Day event that took place on Thursday, 12 December.

For the eleventh time, RSU Health Day was held in the University’s Main Building of the University. The event brought together employees, students, and local residents who wanted to donate blood at the State Blood Donor Centre's event at our University, as well as have their health checked by members of the various student interest groups.

RSU students were particularly active donors, including a large number of international students.

Representatives from the State Blood Donor Centre noted that they were particularly pleased with the first-time donors, as this is crucial for the continued success of the donor movement.

Konstantin and Olivia, second-year medical students from Germany, donated blood for the first time. ‘My blood can help people, so why shouldn't I donate?’ Konstantin asked rhetorically.

‘I've been thinking about donating blood for a while, and when the opportunity arose, I decided to come here. This will be my first time,’ said Maksims, a third-year psychology student.

‘The process of donating blood is not always pleasant, but I know that it can save lives. And donating blood is also beneficial for the donor – it helps restore the blood composition and boosts immunity,’

said Oskars, a visitor at the event who lives in the vicinity of RSU and has donated blood several times.

Along with blood donation, visitors at the RSU Health Day were able to undergo simple health checks and learn valuable information about cancer screenings, psycho-emotional health, skin care, healthy nutrition, and other health-related issues. Students from various interest groups, including nutrition, endocrinology and metabolic diseases, psychiatry, medical simulation, ophthalmology, pharmacology, dermatovenerology, gastroenterology, clinical microbiology and immunology, dentistry, oncology, gynaecology and obstetrics, psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, offered a range of services such as dermatoscopy, vision and HIV testing, measuring blood pressure, blood sugar checks, body mass index assessments, first aid, intubation, and practice in taking blood samples using a mannequin. As in other years, there were long queues at the stall set up by the nutrition interest group. Here, they offered bioimpedance analysis to determine the percentage of muscle, fat, water, and bone in the body.

The main organiser of the event, Annija Līga Legzdiņa, Head of Science of the RSU Student Union (Studējošo pašpārvalde, SP), says that ‘This year, it was an honour to collaborate with our most active student interest groups, students from the RSU Red Cross Medical College, the State Blood Donor Centre, and the Communications Department in organising RSU Health Day.

Both the preparation and the event itself were exciting, demonstrating once again that students are always eager to get involved, help, and share their knowledge.

In the midst of my organisational activities, I took the opportunity offered by the State Blood Donor Centre and donated blood for the first time. Being able to do this at our University was definitely encouraging, not only for me but also for many other students, including international students. There was a queue at the blood donation door all day!

We are very pleased with everyone who took part in RSU Health Day, and, of course, with all the visitors who showed great enthusiasm for the stalls prepared by the students. I look forward to seeing what new ideas we come up with next year!’

About RSU Health Day

RSU Health Day is traditionally held in the autumn and dates back to 2016. The event aims to encourage staff and students to take care of their health and get involved in blood donation.