Blood Banks

Basic Requirements & Care to donate blood:

• Be in generally good health and feeling well.
• Be at least 17 years of age; upper age 60.
• Weigh at least 45 kg.
• The donor should not have taken any medicine in the last 48 hours.
• Drink extra water and fluids
• Avoid caffeinated beverages

Donation Frequency

• Whole Blood donors may donate every 56 days.
• Plasma donors may donate twice a week (max. every 48 hours.)
• Platelet donors may donate a maximum of 24 times per year.
• Other specialized donations are subject to other rules.

There are several benefits of blood donation to the donor himself:

• The Kansas University Medical Center found that men who participate in blood donation experience a 30 percent fewer incidents of heart disease and stroke compared to those people who did not.
• In 1998 American Journal of Epidemiology published that blood donation can reduce the overall iron levels in blood, which may protect against heart attack. But this applies to people who had high iron in their blood to begin with.
• Blood donation forces your body to replace the lost blood with fresh NEW cells.
• Men do not have menstrual period, therefore they store iron in their bodies, often its more than they need.
• A healthy body replaces blood within 48 hours and creates NEW red blood cells within a week.
• Most blood donation sites check your heart rate, hemoglobin, blood pressure etc. for FREE. If you get those checked in a regular doctor's clinic, it will cost you money.
• You hardly lose blood, average adult has 10 pints of total blood, we donate just 1 pint. Giving blood will not decrease your strength.
• Most employers usually give time off when you want to donate blood.