The World Blood Donor Day

THE World Blood Donor Day is observed on June 14 every year to increase awareness among the common people about the necessity of donating blood regularly. Donation of merely 1.0 per cent of the population can meet the requirement of blood of a country. Total blood requirement of 62 countries of the world is collected through voluntary blood donation by people. We can also do the same and meet our blood requirement through voluntary donors. But for this we have to raise awareness among the common people about the benefits of blood donation as many of them are under some wrong perceptions about donating blood. They should be made aware that donating blood does not cause any health problem. On the contrary, blood donated is refurbished immediately by fresh blood and thus overall quality of blood improves. A healthy person, aged between 17 and 64, can donate blood after every four months. The school textbooks should add a chapter on blood donation as it will encourage our children, when they grow up, to donate blood and help remove misconceptions about blood donation. We often find non-availability of blood becoming a great headache for the patients as well as relatives attending them. In the developed countries, there is no dearth of blood and the blood banks always have sufficient stock as people in those countries regularly donate blood. People in underdeveloped countries are less aware of the benefits of blood donation for both donor and receiver. The level of awareness must be raised through different campaigns. According to medical science, as we donate blood our blood goes through some tests and we get a free blood screening. We can take necessary treatment if there is anything wrong in our blood. Blood donation is safe and requires very little effort. We should therefore donate our blood regularly to help those who need blood to save their lives and in this way serve the suffering humanity.
Mohammed Sohel Hara
Bonosree, Dhaka
[email protected]