Introduction: Blood donation is a voluntary practice that helps those in need of blood transfusion due to some accident or illness. Blood is one of the most essential fluids of our body that helps in the smooth functioning of our body. If the body loses blood in excessive amounts, people to get deadly diseases and even die. Thus, we see how blood donation is literally life-saving which helps people. It is also a sign of humanity that unites people irrespective of caste, creed, religion and more.
World Blood Donor Day: In order to raise awareness about this life-saving procedure, the world observes 14th June as Blood Donor Day. It promotes blood donation and urges people to save lives by donating blood. Furthermore, this day is quite an important day as it makes people about safe blood. People need to know the basics to be able to donate blood. For instance, there are certain criteria one must fulfill to donate blood. Not everyone knows that. Thus, this day helps in doing so.
Most importantly, on this day, the WHO organizes a campaign that invites people to donate blood. A person eligible to donate blood must fall in the age bracket of 17-66 years of age. They must weigh more than 50 kgs and have sound health. People suffering from diseases like diabetes, hypertension and more cannot donate blood. Therefore, on World Blood Donor Day, they also appreciate blood donors for their contribution to making the world a better place.
Benefits of Blood Donation: Donating blood is very beneficial for the donor as well as the acceptor. It saves lives and helps people overcome their critical situation. The blood donor’s body gets revitalized and generates new cells which freshen it up.
Blood donation is not at all harmful for the body; rather the four or five liters of blood that can be donated every three or four months by both men and women ensures that us remain fit and fine. Firstly, the cell depletion that occurs due to blood donation, forces the body to produce new cells within 48 hours, thereby freshening up the entire body system. Secondly, the body is armed against a host of diseases ranging from liver and heart problems to even cancer. Thirdly, within just one or two months, a donor regains his lost blood. Thus, donating blood is in another way, a step towards revitalizing our body.
Why a person requires blood has various reasons. It may be an illness or also an accident, nonetheless, it is important. The blood that we donate helps a person in need. It enhances their health condition and makes them overcome their critical situation. In other words, blood donation does not simply help that specific person but also contributes to a responsible gesture towards society.
Since three different components are provided by a single donation, three different people may be helped by it. Considering the millions of people needing blood every year, imagine how each donation is, therefore, precious. Naturally, many deaths occur due to insufficient blood supply. To avoid such calamities, more voluntary donors are required. It is important to note that blood taken from non-remunerated blood donors is generally considered as the safest source of blood since it has a low incidence of Transfusion Transmissible Infections such as HIV, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, Malaria, and Syphilis.
In addition, blood donation makes the work of blood banks easier. It stabilizes their collection which helps other people get blood urgently. The demand is still higher than the supply in blood banks, so we must donate more and more of it to help people.
Other than that, blood donation also helps us know about our bodies. As a blood donation requires a preliminary health check-up, we get a complete diagnosis. It makes us aware of the levels of iron, hemoglobin, cholesterol and more. Thus, we see that blood donation is an important procedure in saving human life. It is a great initiative that must be encouraged everywhere.
Conclusion: Human life is priceless and thus to make sure that not a single life is lost due to blood shortage, take a positive initiative towards donating blood and give someone the blessing of life. People can give blood if they are between 17‑60 years of age, if their weight is over 50 kg and they are in sound health. World Blood Donors Day is celebrated on 14th June to create awareness about blood donation. This day also appreciates the blood donors for their contribution towards society in improving people’s lives.
