Facts about Blood Donation
Any healthy adult, both male and female, can donate blood. Men once in every three months and women in every four months can donate blood. Good health of the donor must be fully ensured.

The universally accepted criteria for donor selection are:
Age between 18 and 55 year
Hemoglobin: not less than 12.5 g/dL
Pulse: between 50 and 100/minute with no irregularities
Blood Pressure: Systolic 180 mm Hg and Diastolic 50 : 100 mm Hg
Temperature: Normal(oral temperature not exceeding 37.5 degree C)
Body weight: not less than 46 Kg

Who should not donate blood and till what time duration?
1. In Past one year not been treated for Rabies, had Jaundice, tested positive for Hepatitis B virus or received Hepatitis B immune globulin.
2. Past six months: not had a tattoo, ear or skin piercing or acupuncture, received blood or blood products, serious illness or major surgery, not in contact with a person with hepatitis or yellow jaundice.
3. Past three months: not donated blood or been treated for Malaria.
4. Past one month: not had any immunizations.
5. Past 48 hours : not taken any antibiotics or any other medications(Allopathic or Ayurveda or Sidha or Homeo).
6. Past 24 hours: not taken alcoholic beverages.
7. Past 7 hours: not had dental work or taken Aspirin.
8. Present: suffering from cough, Flue or sore throat,cold, pregnancy or breast feeding
9.Free from Diabetes, not suffering from chest pain, heart disease or high BP, cancer, blood clotting problem or blood disease, unexplained fever, weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, enlarged lymph nodes in armpits, neck or groin, white patches in the mouth etc..
10. Lived in the Islands of West Africa, Haiti or Africa since 1970.
11. Ever had TB, bronchial asthma or allergic disorder, liver disease, kidney disease, fits or fainting, blue or purple spots on the skin or mucous membranes, received human pituitary: growth hormones etc..

The following categories of people should avoid giving blood:
1. Pregnant or lactating women and those who have recently had an abortion.
2. Persons who are on steroids, hormonal supplements or certain specified medication.
3. Persons with multiple sexual partners or those who are addicted to drugs.
4. Persons who have had an attack of infection like jaundice, rubella, typhoid or malaria.
5. Persons who have undergone surgery in the past six months.
6. Persons who have consumed alcohol in the 24 hours prior to donation.
7. Women should avoid donation during their menstruating period.
8. Those who have undergone various vaccinations should avoid donation for the corresponding period specified below:

     Type of Vaccine and period upto blood donation should be avoided.

                     Hepatitis B- 6 months

                     Live vaccines- 2 weeks

                     Killed vaccines- 48 Hours

                     Rabies- 1 year

9. Persons with any systemic disease like heart disease, kidney disease, liver problems, blood disorders or asthma should NOT donate blood.
10. Persons suffering from infections transmitted through transfusions like HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis etc should Not donate blood.
To find out the eligibility of the blood donors and to rule out any contra indication for blood donation all the donors will be elaborately interrogated for the history and the incidence of the specific ailments by a planned questionnaire. Only after satisfactorily fulfilling the laid down basic criteria, the blood donors will be selected. After blood collection, as a routine and mandatory procedure, the donor's blood specimens will be screened for Malaria, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV 1 & 2 antibodies etc..