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

There are some diseases like thalassaemia, haemophilia where regular blood transfusion is mandatory for the patients. They are constantly in need of blood.

What happens when blood is donated?
Safe blood saves life. Whether it is the first time you give blood or you are a regular donor, the blood service must make sure that you come with no harm for the person who receives it.

Before you give blood, you should be checked properly including your medical history, any medication you are taking and about your current health status and lifestyle. These questions will be asked only to safeguard your own health and the health of the person receiving your blood.

Donating blood is very simple which usually takes only about 10 minutes to donate blood. After taking rest for 10 to 15 minutes you will be able to return to your normal activities, although you should avoid strenuous activity for the rest of the day. You should drink plenty of fluids over the next 24 hours.

Does it hurt or harmful?
Just squeeze the inside of your elbow tightly and you will get a quick idea of what the needle feels like. All you should feel is a gentle pressure, but no pain. Blood donation is very safe and any discomfort or problem during or after donating is very uncommon. It is notable that giving blood does not make you weak. Blood cells are destroyed after 120 days cycle and new cells produced by normal physiology of our body. So every three months, you have the opportunity to someone's life by donating blood and can make your blood useful rather destruction.

In which conditions we need blood?
In our country, transfusion is most commonly used to support medical and surgical procedures and treatment of conditions mainly for women with complicated pregnancies and also in leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, thalassaemia, sickle cell disease and haemophilia.

More than 529000 women in the world die each year during pregnancy or childbirth, 99 percent of them in developing countries. While the demand for blood is increasing, blood shortages are common. More blood donors are needed to replace those that are lost every year due to ill health, retirement and relocation.

Things to consider
Blood for transfusion should always be screened for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis, but in more than 40 countries including Bangladesh, not all donated blood are tested for these infections. Testing is not reliable in everywhere in the country because of constraints of resource, facilities, lack of basic laboratory quality and some other stuffs.

Adequate stocks of safe blood can only be assured by regular donation by voluntary blood donors, because the prevalence of blood-borne infections is lowest among these donors. It is higher among the professional blood donors.

Safe blood transfusion can save lives, but often transfusions are prescribed when simpler, less expensive treatments might be equally effective. This exposes some patients to the needless risk of infections or severe transfusion reactions due to incompatibility of blood groups. Safe clinical transfusion practices are fundamental for transfusion to be truly life-saving with minimal risk.

The writer is an Advisor of Sandhani National Committee.