Voluntary Blood Donation for Blood Transfusion Safety.
Voluntary blood donation is crucial in ensuring blood safety. It will prevent HIV, Hepatitis B transmitted through blood transfusion. A meeting was organized in Calcutta India to review and discuss the status of voluntary blood donation in the country. There were about 300 participants. Dr Salunke participated in the meeting on behalf of WHO India.
Common Reasons given for not donating Blood:
My blood is only common group O.
I am too old.
I think I am Anaemic.
I am sacred about giving blood.
You would not want my blood, I have had hepatitis.
I haven't have enough blood to spare.
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Blood Quiz
Are you a Bloodhound? Answer these 15 multiple choice questions to find out!
1) I'm scared of needles.
There are not many people that LIKE needles! However, most people report that that all you feel is an initial pinch and once the needle is in you won't feel anything. Once you have donated, you'll wonder why you did not do it sooner!
2) I'm too busy.
What Happens When I Donate Blood?
Want to donate? You must:
Donating Blood
Roll your mouse over the scenarios to see what happens at each step:
Drink and Eat
The benefits of giving blood
Giving blood is a great thing to do. By making a blood donation, you are not only helping save the lives of people you will never meet; you're also doing yourself a good turn.
A regular check-up
Each time you make a donation, we check your blood pressure and haemoglobin (an indication of your iron level).
The benefits of giving blood
What Happens When You Give Blood
I want to give blood, what do I do?
First of all, call 13 14 95 to make an appointment. When you call, one of our friendly staff will also ask you a few pre-screening questions to evaluate whether you meet the main criteria to give blood. Your ultimate eligibility is determined on donation day.
Donor Well Being
Blood donors are our greatest asset. We are therefore very anxious to ensure that you have a positive experience when you give us your blood and time. Here are some tips on what you can do to help your body prepare for the donation and to recuperate after the donation.
Before your donation
You should make sure that you drink plenty of water and have something substantial to eat before you donate.
After it is donated, whole blood is most often broken down into components: red blood cells, platelets and plasma.
The 13.9 million units of donated blood each year are broken down into more than 26.5 million units of blood components, which are in turn transfused to about 4.5 million patients per year.*
The American Red Cross supplies blood to 3,000 hospitals across the country.+
