Donate blood, save a life

Donate blood, save a life.

Few days back, I saw a video footage of the Berhampore New General Hospital aired on television which highlighted that the hospital did not have any stock for any of the blood groups, literally driving patients crazy. Any request for blood was refused bluntly with a statement on the lines of "Please bring a donor or arrange for the blood yourself."

Frankly I felt bad. Blood is such a fluid that cannot be manufactured, yet it is an essential ingredient of the life support system.

So, as soon as I received an opportunity, I said YES to blood donation. It was an initiative on the part of my organization to arrange for a voluntary blood donation camp here in Kolkata, in association with AMRI Hospitals. Not that it was my first time. In fact it was my 4th time. In college, I had donated blood on two occasions and once last year, when I did it for my dad. He was to undergo a surgery.

This time, believe me, it felt nice... really... felt as if I saved a life today!

I know there are many who are apprehensive about blood donation. Well here are a few facts which may just open your eyes. This is the eligibility criteria for voluntary donation.
Any person within the age group of 18 - 60 years with a body weight as minimum 45 kgs, and having hemoglobin content as minimum 12.5 gm% (reference) is eligible.
For more information, please visit the American Red Cross.

So, friends... what are you waiting for! Donate blood, save a life!




NOTE. Please be informed that the information listed here is for guidance purposes and during actual donation, certified medical practitioners would give final verdict on whether a person is eligible to donate blood.