Blood donation Day is celebrated on 1 October as a National Voluntary . World Blood donation Day works to remove the confusion about blood donation in the society and encourage blood donation. According to Dr. Vanshri Singh, director of the blood bank of the national headquarters of the Indian Red Cross, there have been fewer misconceptions about blood donation in the country, but a lot still remains to be done. Blood donating agencies often conduct workshops to educate people about the benefits of donating blood. With a large population of youth, blood donation camp are regularly organized by hospitals and organizations on college campuses.
Blood donors and their family members are often given priority in case of emergency or accidents. In 2016, the government launched an initiative called a web-based e-Rakesh, which integrates all the blood banks of the state into a single network. Due to which information about blood camps and availability of blood is available in hospitals across the country.
History of blood donation in India –
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History of voluntary blood donation in India is from 1942 during the second world war. When blood donor was needed to help the wounded soldiers. The first blood bank was established in March 1942 at the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health in Kolkata, West Bengal. And it was managed by the Red Cross. Most of the donors were government employees and people from the Anglo-Indian community. Who donated blood due to human reason.
The number of voluntary blood donors declined after the war. And the donors had to pay for the blood. Social reformer Leela Mulgaonkar started a voluntary blood donation camp in Mumbai from 1954. In the 1960s, many blood banks opened in various cities. Under his leadership in 1975, JG Jolly, President of the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohematology, declared October 1 as National Voluntary Blood Donation Day. Which has been seen all over the country since then?
There are many blood donation organizations in India, both government and non-government. Some major organizations operate in multiple areas across the country while others are regional and operated with local support. Along with organizing blood donation camps, these organizations also raise awareness on voluntary blood donation and public health. Most organizations have an online portal where donors can enter their details. And you can get updates when the camp is held.
Some of the major organizations organizing blood donation camps are listed below.
Rotary Blood Bank – It was established in 2002. And it is located in New Delhi. Part of Rotary International, it is one of the largest blood donation organizations. And conducts camps all over the country through its regional branches.
Indian Red Cross Society – It was established in 1920. And it has 166 blood banks across the country. It is located in New Delhi. And through the Indian Red Cross Blood Bank, actively organizes blood donation camps in many cities.
Blood Connect Foundation – It was founded by students of IIT Delhi in 2010. And now it is the largest youth-non-profit organization in the field of blood donation in India. Spread across 20 cities, BloodConnect has a volunteer team in all the major colleges of the country including IIM, IIT, DU, and PU. Along with running 24 * 7 helplines, they organize blood donation camps and awareness sessions across the country.
Khoon Organization – Khoon Organization was established in 2016. Based in Bengaluru and operating across India, it is the first organization in the field of blood donation for the ongoing blood helpline service in the northeast of India.
Sankalp India Foundation – Sankalp India Foundation was established in 2003. It is located in Bengaluru. And runs blood donation camps in the state of Karnataka.
Save India – a project under ‘Volunteer for a Better India’, is an initiative of Save Life India Art of Living and is located in Madgaon, Goa. Initially in Goa in 2014, the organization organized blood donation camps in several states.
Lions Blood Bank – A project of Lions Club, Lions Blood Bank is located in Chennai and operates blood banks and blood donation camps in many cities.
ARDAAS – Sarbat da Bhala (NGO), Punjab – It (NGO) is located in Jalandhar Punjab. They are working for needy patients (financial assistance for their / their treatment), Thalassemia patients, and check-ups to prevent Thalassemia from time to time. They organize blood donation camps and medical screening camps for needy patients. Are
Think Foundation – Think Foundation is located in Mumbai. It organizes blood donation camps. And works for patients with Thalassemia. And prevents thalassemia by conducting check-ups.
Athar Blood Bank – Athar Blood Bank is an initiative by the Athar Minorities Social and Welfare Association. And it is located in Solapur, Maharashtra. It was established in 2012 and organizes blood donation camps across the state.
Jeevan Rakshak Sangh- Life Savers Association was established in 2019 and is based in Kolar Gold Fields and is one of the largest blood donation organizations and runs camps all over Karnataka.
Ekam Nyas – Ekam Nyas is located in Ambala. It does blood donation camps and emergency blood donate.
Other blood donor networks – Apart from government and non-government organizations, major hospitals in the country have their own blood banks where blood donate is done within the facility. Organizations like BloodConnect, Indian Blood Donors, and Friends 2 AbilityMaintains a database of towers. Who facilitates a network between blood donors and organizations/hospitals.
Click here – Blood Donate Blood donation is Mahadan or the biggest donation. Know how?
Overview
Blood donation is a voluntary procedure that can help save the lives of others. There are several types of blood donation. Each type helps meet different medical needs.
Whole blood donation
This is the most common type of blood donation, during which you donate about a pint (about half a liter) of whole blood. The blood is then separated into its components — red cells, plasma and sometimes platelets.
Apheresis
During apheresis, you are hooked up to a machine that can collect and separate blood components, including red cells, plasma and platelets, and return unused components back to you.
- Platelet donation (plateletpheresis) collects only platelets — the cells that help stop bleeding by clumping and forming plugs (clotting) in blood vessels.Donated platelets are commonly given to people with clotting problems or cancer and people who will have organ transplants or major surgeries.
- Double red cell donation allows you to donate a concentrated amount of red blood cells. Red blood cells deliver oxygen to your organs and tissues.Donated red blood cells are typically given to people with severe blood loss, such as after an injury or accident, and people with sickle cell anemia.
- Plasma donation (plasmapheresis) collects the liquid portion of the blood (plasma). Plasma helps blood clot and contains antibodies that help fight off infections.Plasma is commonly given to people in emergency and trauma situations to help stop bleeding
Blood donation Why it’s done
You agree to have blood drawn so that it can be given to someone who needs a blood transfusion.
Millions of people need blood transfusions each year. Some may need blood during surgery. Others depend on it after an accident or because they have a disease that requires blood components. Blood donation makes all of this possible. There is no substitute for human blood — all transfusions use blood from a donor.
Risks
Blood donation is safe. New, sterile disposable equipment is used for each donor, so there’s no risk of contracting a bloodborne infection by donating blood.
If you’re a healthy adult, you can usually donate a pint (about half a liter) of blood without endangering your health. Within a few days of a blood donation, your body replaces the lost fluids. And after two weeks, your body replaces the lost red blood cells.
How you prepare
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible to donate whole blood, plasma or platelets, you must be:
- In good health.
- At least 16 or 17 years old, depending on the law in your state. Some states allow legal minors to donate with parent permission. While there’s no legal upper age limit, policies may vary between individual donor centers.
- At least 110 pounds (about 50 kilograms).
- Able to pass the physical and health-history assessments.
Eligibility requirements differ slightly between different types of blood donation.
Food and medications
Before your blood donation:
- Get plenty of sleep the night before you plan to donate.
- Eat a healthy meal before your donation. Avoid fatty foods, such as a hamburger, fries or ice cream.
- Drink plenty of water before the donation.
- Check to see if any medications you are taking or recently took would prevent you from donating. For example, if you are a platelet donor, you must not take aspirin for two days prior to donating. Talk to your doctor before discontinuing any medications.
- Wear a shirt with sleeves that can be rolled up.
What you can expect
Before the procedure
Before you can donate blood, you will be asked to fill out a confidential medical history that includes questions about behaviors known to carry a higher risk of bloodborne infections — infections that are transmitted through the blood.
Because of the risk of bloodborne infections, not everyone can donate blood. The following are a few high-risk groups that are not eligible to donate blood:
- Anyone who has used injected drugs, steroids or another substance not prescribed by a doctor in the past three months
- Men who have had sexual contact with other men in the past three months
- Anyone who has a congenital coagulation factor deficiency
- Anyone who has had a positive test for HIV
- Anyone who has engaged in sex for money or drugs in the past three months
- Anyone who, in the past 12 months, has had close contact with — lived with or had sexual contact with — a person who has viral hepatitis
- Anyone who has had babesiosis, a rare and severe tick-borne disease, or the parasitic infection Chagas’ disease
- Anyone who has taken the psoriasis medication etretinate (Tegison), which has been discontinued in the U.S.
- Anyone who has risk factors for the degenerative brain disorder Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
- Anyone who spent three months or more in the United Kingdom from 1980 through 1996
- Anyone who received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom or France from 1980 to the present
- Anyone who has spent time that adds up to five years or more in France or Ireland from 1980 to 2001
You will also have a brief physical exam, which includes checking your blood pressure, pulse and temperature. A small sample of blood is taken from a finger prick and is used to check the oxygen-carrying component of your blood (hemoglobin level). If your hemoglobin concentration is normal and you’ve met all the other screening requirements, you can donate blood.
COVID-19 concerns
The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hasn’t been shown to be transmitted through blood transfusions. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests waiting to donate blood for at least 14 days after a positive diagnostic test for COVID-19 without symptoms or for at least 14 days after symptoms of COVID-19 have completely cleared up. Those who have tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies but didn’t have a diagnostic test and never developed symptoms can donate without a waiting period or having a diagnostic test done before donation.
If you get a nonreplicating, inactivated or mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, you can donate blood without a waiting period. However, if a live attenuated viral COVID-19 vaccine becomes available and you get it, wait 14 days after being vaccinated before donating blood. If you aren’t sure what type of vaccine you got, wait 14 days before donating blood.
During the procedure
You lie or sit in a reclining chair with your arm extended on an armrest. If you have a preference for which arm or vein is used, share it. A blood pressure cuff or tourniquet is placed around your upper arm to fill your veins with more blood. This makes the veins easier to see and easier to insert the needle into, and also helps fill the blood bag more quickly. Then the skin on the inside of your elbow is cleaned.
A new, sterile needle is inserted into a vein in your arm. This needle is attached to a thin, plastic tube and a blood bag. Once the needle is in place, you tighten your fist several times to help the blood flow from the vein. Blood initially is collected into tubes for testing. When these have been collected, blood is allowed to fill the bag, about a pint (about half a liter). The needle is usually in place about 10 minutes. When complete, the needle is removed, a small bandage is placed on the needle site and a dressing is wrapped around your arm.
Another method of donating blood becoming increasingly common is apheresis. During apheresis, you are hooked up to a machine that can collect and separate blood components, such as red cells, plasma and platelets. This process allows more of a single component to be collected. It takes longer than standard blood donation — typically up to two hours.
After the procedure
After donating, you sit in an observation area, where you rest and eat a light snack. After 15 minutes, you can leave. After your blood donation:
- Drink extra fluids.
- Avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting for about five hours.
- If you feel lightheaded, lie down with your feet up until the feeling passes.
- Keep your bandage on and dry for the next five hours.
- If you have bleeding after removing the bandage, put pressure on the site and raise your arm until the bleeding stops.
- If bruising occurs, apply a cold pack to the area periodically during the first 24 hours.
- Consider adding iron-rich foods to your diet to replace the iron lost with blood donation.
Contact the blood donor center or your doctor if you:
- Forgot to report any important health information.
- Have signs and symptoms of an illness, such as a fever, within several days after your blood donation.
- Are diagnosed with COVID-19 within 48 hours after donating blood.
Blood donation -Results
Testing
Your blood will be tested to determine your blood type and your Rh factor. Blood type is classified as A, B, AB or O. The Rh factor refers to the presence or absence of a specific antigen — a substance capable of stimulating an immune response — in the blood. You’ll be classified as Rh positive or Rh negative, meaning you do or don’t carry the antigen. This information is important because your blood type and Rh factor must be compatible with the blood type and Rh factor of the person receiving your blood.
Your blood will also be tested for bloodborne diseases, such as hepatitis and HIV. If these tests are negative, the blood is distributed for use in hospitals and clinics. If any of these tests are positive, the donor center notifies you, and your blood is discarded.
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Sri Ram Lakshmana and Parashurama-Samvad