There are a number of reasons people avoid donating blood — needle phobia, too tight a work schedule and, more importantly, the lack of awareness regarding the importance of blood donation, which brings about an insufficient blood supply in Thailand, as was the case last month.
Yet for those who overcome all the fear and obstacles, they all deserve a big round of applause especially from patients falling prey to blood-related diseases, those undergoing major medical operations and women during delivery who are prone to considerable blood loss.
All this is the idea behind World Blood Donor Day — one of the eight World Health Organization's (WHO) global campaigns — which is designated for Saturday, the birthday of the late Austrian biologist and physician Dr Karl Landsteiner whose identification of blood groups, or the so-called ABO system, led to a worldwide medical revolution. Dr Landsteiner received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930.
Secretary-general of the Thai Red Cross Society Phan Wannamethee said that World Blood Donor Day is celebrated by people around the world annually not just in memory of Dr Landsteiner and his blood group discovery but also to raise awareness regarding the priority of blood donation and the need for safe blood and blood products.
“Every year people around the globe mark World Blood Donor Day to recognise Dr Landsteiner’s breakthrough and also to encourage people to donate blood on this specific day,” said Phan.
World Blood Donor Day has a different theme every year, Phan continued. Last year, the day was marked under the theme of “Give the gift of life”.
This year’s theme is “Safe blood for saving mothers”, underlining the need for donated blood which is to be given to women at risk of dying from haemorrhage during labour.
According to figures from the WHO, more than 800 women die every day of severe blood loss during delivery or other childbirth-related complications, half of which are in developing countries and one-third in South Asia. However, with sufficient blood supply, the lives of these women can definitely be saved.
World Blood Donor Day was first celebrated in Thailand in 2004 and now in its 11th year the event is expected to have more than 5,000 participants and to receive 4,000 units of blood from generous donors.
“Last year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of World Blood Donor Day and we received 3,574 units of donated blood,” said deputy chairman of the Blood Donor Recruitment and Promotion Committee of the Thai Red Cross Society Pitak Janyapong. “So this year the goal is higher. And we expect people to see the essence of blood donation and to have more donors not just in Thailand but also globally.”
The situation with regard to blood supply in Thailand at times becomes a worrying issue. One example was two years ago when the country’s stock of donated blood at the National Blood Center shrunk drastically, which affected the centre’s ability to meet the high demand for blood from hospitals countrywide.
Last month, according to director of the National Blood Center Dr Soisaang Phikulsod, the number of blood units in storage again dropped, especially rare blood group like Rh negative, putting patients of blood-related diseases, those having accidents, undergoing major operations or women in labour at risk of dying.
“According to the WHO, each country requires approximately 3% of its population to donate blood so that it would be sufficient for the country’s need,” explained Dr Soisaang. “This means Thailand needs about 1.95 million units of blood per year. The National Blood Center, as well as other blood donation centres in Bangkok and its peripheral areas, need to obtain about 600,000 units while those in other provinces have 1.35 million units to achieve.”
“So World Blood Donor Day, in a way, aims at encouraging people to realise how paramount it is to donate blood voluntarily so that the country has regular blood donors who make donations every three months and this amount would be enough for the Thai population,” she added. “When it comes to blood donation, donors are really the one to be thankful for and we hope that people will be more aware of the meaning of sacrificing and helping others without expecting anything in return.”
Criteria for blood donation
- People between the ages of 17 and 70. Those below the age of 17 must have a consent letter from guardians. Those between the ages of 61 and 70 must have a medical certification stating they are in good health. First-time donors must not be above the age of 55.
- Weigh more than 45kg.
- In good general health and feeling well; having at least six hours of quality-sleep prior to blood donation.
- Avoid food that contains high fat three hours prior to donation.
- No history of child delivery or miscarriage in the past six months.
- No history of diarrhoea in the past seven days.
- No history of considerable weight loss due to unknown reasons in the past three months.
- No history of tooth extraction, filling, cleaning or root canal treatment in the past three days; and wisdom tooth extraction in the past seven days.
- No record of drug addiction in the past three years.
- No history of blood transfusion in the past year.
- Not travelling or staying in areas affected by malaria in the past year or being infected with malaria in the past three years.
- No sexual promiscuity.
- No record of blood transfusion or staying in Britain from 1980 to 1996 due to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, outbreak during that period.
- Menstruating women should abstain.
- Those taking Aspirin, muscle relaxants or joint pain relief medication should consult medical personnel prior to blood donation as these drugs might interfere with the body’s blood clotting action.
- Not taking antibiotics in the past seven days.
- No family history of hepatitis.
- Not suffering asthma, seizure, chronic skin diseases, persistent coughing, tuberculosis and allergies.
- No ear piercing, tattooing or having tattoo removed in the past year.
- Not being vaccinated in the past 14 days; not receiving serum in the past year.
- No record of major medical operation in the past six months or minor operation in the past seven days.
- Activities to mark World Blood Donor Day will be held on Saturday at the National Blood Center, the Thai Red Cross Society, on Henri Dunant Road. Highlights include the trophy presentation ceremony for male and female artists who are the most frequent blood donors, certificate presentation ceremony for frequent donors, donors of rare blood groups and youth donors, charity auction of memorabilia from stars and artists, mini concerts, games and many more.
- Visit www.blooddonationthai.com or call 02-256-4300.