Who needs blood?

Every 2 seconds someone needs blood. Your blood helps more than one life at a time. Accident victims, premature babies, patients undergoing major surgeries require whole blood, where your blood after testing is used directly. Patients suffering from trauma, anemia, and other surgeries require only red blood cells, which is separated from your blood. The procedure of splitting blood components is called Cytapheresis. Similarly blood platelets are used for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or for those undergoing treatment for dengue fever etc. Fresh frozen plasma is used for patients having massive transfusions, plasma is used for burns and cryoprecipitate is used for hemophilia.

When is blood needed?

Blood is needed at regular intervals and at all times as it has only finite time of storage. Red blood cells can be stored for about 42 days, fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate for 365 days and blood platelets for 5 days.

Who can donate blood?

Anyone above 18 years weighing more than 50 kgs (110 lbs) can donate blood.

Eligibility

You should not be suffering from any of the following diseases or taking medicines for them.

•   Hepatitis B, C
•   AIDS # 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
•  Hormonal disorders
•  Any other type of Jaundice (within 5 years)
•  Tuberculosis (within 2 years)
•  Chicken Pox (within 1 year)
•  Malaria (within 1 year)
•  Organ Transplant (within one year)
•  Blood Transfusion (within the last 6 months)
•  Pregnancy (within the last 6 months)
•  Blood Donation (within the last 3 months)
•  Major Surgery (within the last 3 months)
•  Small Pox Vaccination (within the last 3weeks)
•  Hemoglobin deficiency / Anemia (recently)
•  Drastic weight loss (recently)

Tips for Donating

•   Please have a good meal at least 3 hours before donating blood.
•   Please accept the snacks offered to you after the donation, it is vital you have them. You are recommended to have a good meal later.
•   Please avoid smoking on the day before donating. You can smoke 3 hours after donation.
•   You will not be eligible to donate blood if you have consumed alcohol 48 hours before donation