Why Is Blood Donation Needed?

Blood donation is a healthy and positive practice. There is a continuous need for blood products in our country.
Blood donation rate in high-income countries is 36.8 donations per 1000 population; 11.7 donations in middle-income and 3.9 donations in low-income countries, so awareness among general population is required in our country to increase blood donation. We have a huge burden of patients with chronic anemia and a large number of patients who undergo routine and emergency surgery daily and need blood products to save their life.

Blood Transfusion is needed for:

• Women with complications of pregnancy, such as ectopic pregnancies and haemorrhage – before, during or after childbirth;
• Children with severe anaemia often resulting from diseases like thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, malaria or malnutrition.
• People with severe trauma following man-made and natural disasters and
• Many complex medical, surgical procedures.
• It is also used to make products such as clotting factors for people with haemophilia.

There is a constant need for regular blood supply because blood can be stored for only a limited time before use. Regular blood donations by a sufficient number of healthy people are needed to ensure that safe blood will be available whenever and wherever it is needed.

Blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person — the gift of life. A decision to donate your blood can save a life, or even several if your blood is separated into its components — red cells, platelets and plasma — which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions.

 Blood Donation is a Healthy Habit

For many it is a routine, however numerous people shy away from donating the gift of life. For numerous patients facing complications and blood disorders, every drop of blood counts. Donating blood is a gesture that is free in all hospitals and medical institutions and is also promoted as it is a healthy practice.

Each one of us should opt for safe blood donation and should not shy away from the same. A simple gesture can make a difference to someone’s life and also prove to be beneficial to you.

We celebrate every year on 14th of June, world blood donor day and this year’s theme is ‘Blood Connects us All’. This is an effort by the World Health Organization to sensitize the public about the advantages and the benefits of blood donation. It should also be noted that blood is a bodily fluid that cannot be synthetically made. Hence these aspects make blood essential and precious.

The benefits of blood donation are as follows:

• Making the donor psychologically rejuvenated – Since the donor is doing a noble activity, it helps the donor feel good about himself. It orients the donor towards positive thinking.
• Boosts the production of red blood cells- As the old blood cells are removed, the body produces new ones. This is a healthy activity and does not affect your health. Infact blood donation is recommended after every 6 months.
• Helps in weight loss- You burn 650 calories with every pint of blood donated.
• Replenishes blood- Your body makes about 2 million new red cells every second, so it doesn’t take long to build up stores of them again.
• Aids in fighting hemochromatosis
• Donors automatically warned of serious illnesses – Just before you are ready to donate and after donation, the donor and his blood are tested. Through the tests the donor is able to come to know about any underlying silent diseases.
• Reduces cholesterol level- Blood donation lowers the blood pressure, heart rate and weight.
• Reduces cancer risk
• Beneficial for the human heart

So instead of being selfish or shying away from the needle, it is recommended that you opt for the noble cause and donate blood. Remember every drop counts !