SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

Slovenia is one of the few countries where blood donors get a day off work or compensation for absence from work. Many people donate blood - young people are encouraged to do so in secondary schools and colleges, and several times a year blood drives are organised in villages or small towns around the country so that those who cannot travel to the capital can attend.

Mr Boštjan Škornik is something special - he has been a blood donor for 38 years and has donated 73 times so far.

"I became a blood donor at the age of 16, when I was still in high school. I was inspired by a classmate who persistently persuaded me to go with him and not be a 'mezuzah'. When I was doing my military service in the Yugoslav Army in Mostar, I gave blood three times. I have an extremely rare blood type that only 3 % people in the world have - AB (Rh negative)," says Boštjan.

Not only does he donate whole blood, which can be drawn every three months - in between, he also subscribes to plasmapheresis and cytopheresis. These are purified blood plasma donation procedures, which can be carried out every 20 days.

How do you feel after donating blood?

"You donate to help. Blood cannot be made artificially. It feels great to know that I have saved someone's life or at least helped them fight a disease. And after the blood donation, I feel great because the blood plasma cleanse my body of toxins and impurities."

There is no charge for blood donation, because that would defeat the purpose of donation - people would donate for money, not for compassion and goodwill.

How can I encourage others to do the same?

"Be brave, it doesn't hurt! It's about selflessly helping others who need blood and their lives depend on us. The clinic is very friendly, and every time after the blood donation we are offered a sandwich and a drink to make sure we are well fed."

Boštjan is a long-standing criminal investigator and has been dedicated to his profession for 33 years. He has also seen many cases and accidents in his job where people needed donated blood to survive.

Nuša Želko, 6. 3. 2025