Why Donate Blood?

Blood is the part of life that is given to those who need it by those who have the resource to satisfy the need. The love of fellow human and a desire to share something of oneself is what singles out a blood donor from the others. Emergencies occur every minute. For each patient requiring blood, it is an emergency and the patients could have set back if blood is not available.

Your blood donation may be even more special than you realize
A single donation from you can help one or more patients. This is possible because whole blood is made up of several useful components. These components perform special functions in your body and in the body of patients who receive your blood. The various blood components are Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, Platelets, Plasma and selected Plasma Proteins. Each of these components can be separated from your donated volume of blood and transfused into a specific patient requiring that particular component. Thus, many can benefit from one unit of blood.
Blood is needed every minute
To replace blood lost because of accidents or diseases.
To treat shock due to injury.
For Major & Minor surgeries including open heart surgeries, transplants etc.
For burn victims.
For patients suffering from Anemia.
During child birth for the mother.
For exchange transfusion for new born infants.
To make blood derivatives which are used to treat medical problems.
For children suffering from ailments like Thalassaemia, Hemophilia (bleeding disorders) , Leukemia, Blood Cancer.

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Who can donate who cannot donate blood?

DOs and DONTs of Blood Donation

Let others benefit from your good health. Do donate blood if...
You are between age group of 18-60 years.
Your weight is 45 kgs or more.
Your haemoglobin is 12.5 gm% minimum.
Your last blood donation was 3 months earlier.
You are healthy and have not suffered from malaria, typhoid or other transmissible disease in the recent past.

There are many, many people who meet these parameters of health and fitness!

Do abide by our rules - be truthful about your health status!

We ensure the health of blood, before we take it, as well as after it is collected. Firstly, the donor is expected to be honest about his or her health history and current condition. Secondly, collected blood is tested for venereal diseases, hepatitis B & C and AIDS.
You have to be healthy to give 'safe blood'

Do not donate blood if you have any of these conditions
Cold / fever in the past 1 week.
Under treatment with antibiotics or any other medication.
Cardiac problems, hypertension, epilepsy, diabetes (on insulin therapy), history of cancer, chronic kidney or liver disease, bleeding tendencies, venereal disease etc.
Major surgery in the last 6 months.
Vaccination in the last 24 hours.
Had a miscarriage in the last 6 months or have been pregnant / lactating in the last one year.
Had fainting attacks during last donation.
Have regularly received treatment with blood products.
Shared a needle to inject drugs/ have history of drug addiction.
Had sexual relations with different partners or with a high risk individual.
Been tested positive for antibodies to HIV.
Malaria (within 1 year)
Hepatitis B, C *
Any other type of Jaundice (within 16 years)
AIDS
Tuberculosis (within 2 years)
Diabetes (are you under medication currently?)
Fits/ Convulsions (are you under medication currently?)
Cancer *
Leprosy or any other infectious diseases
Any allergies (Only if you are suffering from severe symptoms)
Hemophilia/ Bleeding problems *
Kidney disease *
Heart disease *
Chicken Pox (within 1 year)
Hormonal disorders *
Hemoglobin deficiency / Anemia (recently)
Drastic weight loss (recently)
Small Pox Vaccination (within the last 3weeks)
Blood Donation (within the last 3 months)
Blood Transfusion (within the last 6 months)
Major Surgery (within the last 3 months)
Pregnancy (within the last 6 months)
Organ Transplant (within one year)

Pregnancy and Menstrual Period
Females should not donate blood during pregnancy.
They can donate after 6 weeks following a normal delivery and when they are not breast feeding.
Females should not donate blood if they are having heavy menstrual flow or menstrual cramps.

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About Blood Donate

Donating blood is safe and simple. It takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete the blood donation process. Any healthy adult between 18 years and 60 years of age can donate blood. This is what you can expect when you are ready to donate blood:

You walk into a reputed and safe blood donation centre or a mobile camp organised by a reputed institution.




A few questions will be asked to determine your health status (general questions on health, donation history etc). Usually you will be asked to fill out a short form.




Then a quick physical check will be done to check temperature, blood pressure, pulse and haemoglobin content in blood to ensure you are a healthy donor.




If found fit to donate, then you will be asked to lie down on a resting chair or a bed. Your arm will be thoroughly cleaned. Then using sterile equipments blood will be collected in a special plastic bag. Approximately 350 ml of blood will be collected in one donation. Those who weigh more than 60 Kg can donate 450 ml of blood.




Then you must rest and relax for a few minutes with a light snack and something refreshing to drink. Some snacks and juice will be provided.




Blood will be separated into components within eight hours of donation




The blood will then be taken to the laboratory for testing.




Once found safe, it will be kept in special storage and released when required.




The blood is now ready to be taken to the hospital, to save lives.




Eligible to Blood Donation

Persons with the following conditions are not eligible to donate blood
Malaria (within 1 year)
Hepatitis B, C *
Any other type of Jaundice (within 16 years)
AIDS
Tuberculosis (within 2 years)
Diabetes (are you under medication currently?)
Fits/ Convulsions (are you under medication currently?)
Cancer *
Leprosy or any other infectious diseases
Any allergies (Only if you are suffering from severe symptoms)
Hemophilia/ Bleeding problems *
Kidney disease *
Heart disease *
Chicken Pox (within 1 year)
Hormonal disorders *
Hemoglobin deficiency / Anemia (recently)
Drastic weight loss (recently)
Small Pox Vaccination (within the last 3weeks)
Blood Donation (within the last 3 months)
Blood Transfusion (within the last 6 months)
Major Surgery (within the last 3 months)
Pregnancy (within the last 6 months)
Organ Transplant (within one year)

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An Interoduction About Blood

Blood is the river of life that flows through the human body. We can't live without it. The heart pumps blood to all our body cells, supplying them with oxygen and food. At the same time, blood carries carbon dioxide and other waste products from the cells. Blood also fights infection, keeps our temperature steady, and carries chemicals that regulate many body functions. Finally, blood even has substances that plug broken blood vessels and so prevent us from bleeding to death.

The amount of blood in our body depends on our size and the altitude at which we live. An adult who weighs 160 pounds (73 kilograms) has about 5 quarts (4.7 liters) of blood. An 80-pound (36-kilogram) child has about half that amount, and an 8-pound (3.6-kilogram) infant has about 81/2 ounces (250 milliliters). People, who live at high altitudes, where the air contains less oxygen, may have upto 2 quarts (1.9 liters) more blood than people who live in low regions.

The composition of blood

Blood consists of cells that move about in a watery liquid called Plasma. Three types of cells make up the formed elements::
(1) Blood Drop
(2) Red Blood Cells
(3) White Blood Cells
(4) Platelets

AA microliter (1/30,000 of an ounce) of blood normally contains about 4 million to 6 million red blood cells, 5,000 to 10,000 white blood cells, and 150,000 to 500,000 platelets. The red and white blood cells are also called Corpuscles.

Plasma
Plasma is the liquid, straw-colored part of blood. It makes up about 50 to 60 per cent of the total volume of blood.

Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells, also called erythrocytes, carry oxygen to body tissues and remove carbon dioxide.

White Blood Cells
White blood cells, also called leukocytes, fight infections and harmful substances that invade the body.

Platelets
Platelets, also known as thrombocytes, are disk like structures that help stop bleeding.

What blood does in the body?
The major jobs of blood are to transport oxygen and nutrients to body tissues and to remove wastes. To accomplish those tasks, blood must flow to all parts of the body. It does so by means of our circulatory system, which consists of the heart, a vast network of blood vessels, and the blood itself. It does a variety of jobs in the body such as-
Carrying oxygen & carbon dioxide
Transporting nutrients & wastes
Protecting against disease
Carrying hormones
Distributing body heat


How the body maintains its blood supply?
We cannot live without a proper supply of healthy blood. In addition, the amounts of the various blood components (parts) must change constantly as the needs of our body change. Our body maintains Blood Dropits blood supply by:

Regulating the volume of blood components
Controlling bleeding
Replacing worn-out blood components


Blood Groups
The membranes of red blood cells contain proteins called antigens. More than 300 red-cell antigens have been identified. Based on the presence or absence of particular antigens, scientists have classified human blood into various groups. A, B & O

The Rh Blood Types
Rh blood types form the second major blood-group system. People who have Rh antigens on their red blood cells are Rh positive. The antigen itself is called the Rh factor. People who lack the factor are Rh negative. Most people are Rh positive.

Blood Transfusion
Blood transfusion is the transfer of whole blood or blood components into a person's bloodstream. People who lose large amounts of blood in accidents, during surgery or due to some illnesses often need blood transfusions. Blood Transfusion is a safe and effective medical procedure that saves many lives.

 

After donating blood the donor (if properly selected) does not feel any weakness and the donated amount of blood is replaced with in 24 hours to one week. Blood donation can be repeated safely after 2 to 3 months.

Most people need only some parts of blood in a transfusion. For example, in a disease called hemophilia, blood does not clot normally. A person with hemophilia can receive a transfusion of clotting factors, the plasma proteins that cause blood to clot. Another person can receive a transfusion of red blood cells from the same unit of blood.

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