‘Donating blood is sharing life with another person’

KOHIMA— When you donate blood, you are sharing life with another person by saving life, said Dr. Avila Sangtam, Medical Officer, Blood Centre Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK).

Eastern Mirror interacted with Dr. Sangtam on the eve of World Blood Donor Day (WBDD), which is celebrated every year on June 14 to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank donors for their life-saving gifts to those in need.

The slogan for this year’s World Blood Donor Day is: “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often.”

Sharing about the blood donation scenario in the state capital, the medical officer disclosed that most voluntary blood donations come from blood camps conducted by colleges, Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Dr. Avila informed that the annual collection of blood in NHAK is around 2000-2500 units and that the blood centre at the facility tries to keep up with the growing demand by organising blood donation camps at colleges.

Benefits of blood donation

Dwelling on the benefits of blood donations, she informed that in pre-donation, the donors get to know their blood pressure (BP) and hemoglobin levels; they also go through various transfusions transmissible infections (TTI) tests including malaria and syphilis besides other tests for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV 1 and 2, which are mandatory in every blood bank in India.

The doctor said that knowing the hemoglobin level is beneficial especially for male donors as they do not undergo monthly menstruation like their female counterparts.

Informing that abnormal hemoglobin concentration can increase the incidence of stroke, she said it is important for men to donate blood every three months, while females can do the same every 4 months.

On WBDD 2023 theme

Speaking on this year’s theme “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often,” the doctor said that when a person gives a unit of blood, which contains 350 ml, it is divided into components including fresh frozen plasma (FFP), platelet concentrate and packed red blood cell (PRBC).

She continued that when a person donates one unit of blood, he or she is giving life to another person. Every male can donate blood every three months and female can donate every four months, which literally means one can ‘share often,’ she said.

Safe blood donation

Sharing about safe blood donation, the medical officer said that, in general, the safest blood donation comes from voluntary donors because they are altruistic donors who willingly do so without thinking of any remuneration.

Their (blood donors) only motive is to save a life, so the safest blood transfusion is through voluntary blood donors; they also donate every three or four months, and that’s how they get to know their TTI’s status, HIV 1 and 2, hepatitis B and hepatitis C status as well as risk factors, she said.

Need for more blood donors

Pointing out that the demand for blood keeps increasing, the official said more active voluntary blood donors are needed.

She informed that the highest number of patients that require blood are cancer patients as a single person might need 50 to hundreds units of blood.

In this regard, she requested all the young and energetic people to come forward and donate blood at various centres which are open 27×7. She also requested them to donate in licensed blood banks at District Hospital Dimapur, CIHSR, NHAK and also Mokokchung Civil Hospital, and save lives.

Blood component separation facility in NHAK soon

Meanwhile, another official who is privy to the department’s development, said that the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) is planning to open a blood component separation facility.

“No hospital in Kohima has component separation,” the official said, adding that the NHAK will soon have one as they already have one trained technician.

It was informed that a technician each from NHAK and District Hospital Dimapur had completed training on blood component separation from Guwahati Medical College.

According to the source, NHAK will be applying for the blood component separation facility license. The National Health Mission (NHM) is learnt to have given the machines to the NHAK and some components which were said to be missing, will be procured in due time, the official added.

Also read: Blood donation ‘very low’ in Nagaland, says Dimapur DC