"With every heart beat we live to see the sunset, with each drop of blood donated; another precious life will live to see the sunrise."

In a world where kindness is becoming a rarity, your one simple act of donating blood can save multiple lives. Unfortunately, the noblest of donations has a few takers because of a number of myths and fears.

As per <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blood-safety-and-availability">World Health Donation data</a>, in high-income countries, only 31.5 out of 1000 people donate blood. In upper-middle-income countries, it's 16.4 out of 1000, in lower-middle-income countries 6.6 out of 1000 and in low-income countries, it's 5.0 out of 1000.

To understand why blood donation is important and to bust the many myths around it, WION connected with Dr Kavitha Sudheendran, Family Medicine Physician, Apollo Clinic, Chennai.

"Blood donation is an important part of global healthcare, with over 100 million units contributed annually. Blood donation is crucial for patients undergoing surgery, coping with trauma, managing chronic illness, and battling cancer," says Dr Sudheendran.

<h2>Busting myths about donating blood</h2>

One of the primary concerns that people have when it comes to blood donations is safety, and that giving blood can result in infections.

However, according to Dr Sudheendran, "For donors, it is ensured that blood donation is safe as using sterile single-use needles and equipment ensures no such infections can occur."

Furthermore, she said that the discomfort is minimal and donation has no long-term effect on a donor's immunity or strength.

"The discomfort is slightly noticeable, comparable to a pinch, and the entire process of donation usually lasts less than an hour, which means that it's fast and simple but with minimum inconvenience to an individual." 
&nbsp; 
Another common myth is that people with tattoos are not eligible to donate blood. However, as per the&nbsp;expert, "If your tattoo was made by a registered person, healed well and your condition meets the requirements,&nbsp;then after a while, which can range from 3 to 12 months as stipulated in the said laws, one can donate blood."

<h2>The lives you save</h2>

When you donate blood, it is separated into different components —&nbsp;red blood cells, plasma, and platelets —&nbsp;each of which can save a separate life.

Dr Sudheendran explains that red blood cells are extremely important for treating anaemia and supporting surgeries.&nbsp;Platelets are crucial for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or those with low platelet counts, helping to prevent excessive bleeding and promote wound healing.

Plasma, which is rich in protein and helps with clotting, can aid in treating trauma, burns, and liver diseases. Cryoprecipitate, a component of plasma, is used to manage bleeding disorders like haemophilia by providing essential clotting factors.

By donating blood, not only do you save lives, but it is actually good for your health. "Giving blood regularly is well-tolerated when performed in appropriate intervals (commonly every 8–12 weeks), which promotes good levels of iron for body functioning and is, therefore, conducive to an improved state of heart," stated the family physician.

&nbsp;

"With every heart beat we live to see the sunset, with each drop of blood donated; another precious life will live to see the sunrise." In a world where kindness is becoming a rarity, your one simple act of donating blood can save multiple lives.

"With every heart beat we live to see the sunset, with each drop of blood donated; another precious life will live to see the sunrise." In a world where kindness is becoming a rarity, your one simple act of donating blood can save multiple lives. Unfortunately, the noblest of donations has a few takers because of a number of myths and fears. As per World Health Donation data, in high-income countries, only 31.5 out of 1000 people donate blood. In upper-middle-income countries, it's 16.4 out of 1000, in lower-middle-income countries 6.6 out of 1000 and in low-income countries, it's 5.0 out of 1000. To understand why blood donation is important and to bust the many myths around it, WION connected with Dr Kavitha Sudheendran, Family Medicine Physician, Apollo Clinic, Chennai. "Blood donation is an important part of global healthcare, with over 100 million units contributed annually. Blood donation is crucial for patients undergoing surgery, coping with trauma, managing chronic illness, and battling cancer," says Dr Sudheendran. Busting myths about donating blood One of the primary concerns that people have when it comes to blood donations is safety, and that giving blood can result in infections. However, according to Dr Sudheendran, "For donors, it is ensured that blood donation is safe as using sterile single-use needles and equipment ensures no such infections can occur." Furthermore, she said that the discomfort is minimal and donation has no long-term effect on a donor's immunity or strength. "The discomfort is slightly noticeable, comparable to a pinch, and the entire process of donation usually lasts less than an hour, which means that it's fast and simple but with minimum inconvenience to an individual." Another common myth is that people with tattoos are not eligible to donate blood. However, as per the expert, "If your tattoo was made by a registered person, healed well and your condition meets the requirements, then after a while, which can range from 3 to 12 months as stipulated in the said laws, one can donate blood." The lives you save When you donate blood, it is separated into different components — red blood cells, plasma, and platelets — each of which can save a separate life. Dr Sudheendran explains that red blood cells are extremely important for treating anaemia and supporting surgeries. Platelets are crucial for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or those with low platelet counts, helping to prevent excessive bleeding and promote wound healing. Plasma, which is rich in protein and helps with clotting, can aid in treating trauma, burns, and liver diseases. Cryoprecipitate, a component of plasma, is used to manage bleeding disorders like haemophilia by providing essential clotting factors. By donating blood, not only do you save lives, but it is actually good for your health. "Giving blood regularly is well-tolerated when performed in appropriate intervals (commonly every 8–12 weeks), which promotes good levels of iron for body functioning and is, therefore, conducive to an improved state of heart," stated the family physician.

Gift of life: Debunking myths around blood donation and why it matters

October 1 was National Blood Donation Day, which Facebook commemorated with the launch of a new feature that should help people in India find blood donors.&nbsp;

The initiative is meant to help fight the shortage of blood in the country.&nbsp;

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the initiative on his page on September 27:&nbsp;&nbsp;

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&quot;We now have those tools and hope they help people come together in ways that weren&rsquo;t possible before,&rdquo; Zuckerberg wrote.&nbsp;

Functional since October 1, the service allows Facebook users to sign up as blood donors via a simple process.

The people signing up have to mention their blood group and other important details. (The&nbsp;details can be made public or kept private as per your discretion.) You can also choose to display a donor status on your timeline in order to try and motivate others.&nbsp;

The service aims to connect donors with people in need of blood.&nbsp;

Then when someone makes a request for blood, listed donors with the same blood group in nearby areas are sent a notification.

After reviewing the request, interested donors can contact the person who has made the request on messenger, WhatsApp, or via telephone.

People in India can go to facebook.com/donateblood to learn more about the initiative and to sign up as&nbsp;blood donors.

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The feature was launched on October 1, National Blood Donation Day

October 1 was National Blood Donation Day, which Facebook commemorated with the launch of a new feature that should help people in India find blood donors. The initiative is meant to help fight the shortage of blood in the country. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the initiative on his page on September 27: "We now have those tools and hope they help people come together in ways that weren’t possible before,” Zuckerberg wrote. Functional since October 1, the service allows Facebook users to sign up as blood donors via a simple process. The people signing up have to mention their blood group and other important details. (The details can be made public or kept private as per your discretion.) You can also choose to display a donor status on your timeline in order to try and motivate others. The service aims to connect donors with people in need of blood. Then when someone makes a request for blood, listed donors with the same blood group in nearby areas are sent a notification. After reviewing the request, interested donors can contact the person who has made the request on messenger, WhatsApp, or via telephone. People in India can go to facebook.com/donateblood to learn more about the initiative and to sign up as blood donors. .

With new feature, Facebook helps those in need find blood donors

A Delhi Police team here fired several shots in retaliation to an attack by two miscreants on Wednesday, leaving one of them wounded, even as his partner managed to escape.

And the policemen then rushed the injured miscreant to a hospital where they not only took his care but also donated blood to him.

The episode unfolded around 3.50 am in Rohini sector 9 when a few residents of Ahinsa Vihar made a police control room call to inform about two suspicious-looking men roaming in the area.

Within no time, a police team arrived at the spot and saw the duo trying to escape by scaling a boundary wall, a police official said.

Perturbed with the sight of policemen, one of the men, who was later identified as Nitin alias Sonu (24), fired at the team and scaled the boundary wall along with his partner, who was identified as Salman.

However, they were caught by a police team comprising assistant sub-inspector Ramashray Singh, head constable Rajesh Kumar and constable Ashok.

Sonu again opened fire at them and Ashok and Ramashray fired at him in response, the official said, adding five bullets hit Sonu, while Salman managed to give police the slip.

The two constables held Sonu and rushed him to a nearby hospital. &quot;Not only that, they (the constables) even donated blood to him,&quot; said the senior police officer.

While Sonu is undergoing treatment at the hospital, police are searching for his absconding associate, the official said.&nbsp;

(PTI)

And the policemen then rushed the injured miscreant to a hospital where they not only took his care but also donated blood to him

A Delhi Police team here fired several shots in retaliation to an attack by two miscreants on Wednesday, leaving one of them wounded, even as his partner managed to escape. And the policemen then rushed the injured miscreant to a hospital where they not only took his care but also donated blood to him. The episode unfolded around 3.50 am in Rohini sector 9 when a few residents of Ahinsa Vihar made a police control room call to inform about two suspicious-looking men roaming in the area. Within no time, a police team arrived at the spot and saw the duo trying to escape by scaling a boundary wall, a police official said. Perturbed with the sight of policemen, one of the men, who was later identified as Nitin alias Sonu (24), fired at the team and scaled the boundary wall along with his partner, who was identified as Salman. However, they were caught by a police team comprising assistant sub-inspector Ramashray Singh, head constable Rajesh Kumar and constable Ashok. Sonu again opened fire at them and Ashok and Ramashray fired at him in response, the official said, adding five bullets hit Sonu, while Salman managed to give police the slip. The two constables held Sonu and rushed him to a nearby hospital. "Not only that, they (the constables) even donated blood to him," said the senior police officer. While Sonu is undergoing treatment at the hospital, police are searching for his absconding associate, the official said. (PTI)

Delhi policemen shoot miscreant, then donate blood to save him

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