Srishailam Srinivas, 67, a resident of Australia, has completed 100 donations of blood plasma, donating continuously every fortnight for the last six years. He maintains that it is an endeavor to give something back to the community because plasma is in great demand in Australia for making vaccines.
Please could you tell us a bit about yourself? What are you doing and where are you based?
I am Naval Architect by profession. I graduated from IIT Kharagpur in 1977. After working in India for 13 years, I migrated to Australia in 1990. In 1991, I moved to Darwin, Northern Territory, and have been working with the public service with the Department of Infrastructure as the Principal Marine Safety Officer.
You have been at the forefront of blood donation camps for many years. How did this journey start?
The journey started about six years back when I decided I had to give something back to the community. I realized that working as a typical Australian volunteer in bushfire management required much younger people than me. That would be difficult. The other social service I could get into could be blood donation. I was healthy enough to donate blood. And then I realized that blood plasma was in great demand in Australia because plasma is used for making vaccines. I tried to donate plasma a few times, it became a regular exercise and soon it became addictive. I've been donating plasma continuously every fortnight for the last six years, except when I go overseas for holidays, in which case the Australian law requires me to not give blood for up to 3 months depending on the country visited. I donate mostly during work hours on weekdays. The Australian Government actively encourages staff to donate blood.
When was your first blood donation? What was your experience like?
My first donation was in 2015. And then I tried out blood plasma donation. While blood donation takes about 30 minutes in total, blood plasma requires about 1.5 hours. Not many people were donating blood plasma even though it was in great demand for the preparation of vaccines. I then decided that I would start giving blood plasma donations, which you could give once every fortnight. My experience was very pleasant. At the blood blank, the staff took very good care during the donation process. They also made you feel welcome. In the end, they would ensure that I was healthy enough to drive home.
What is a blood group?
My blood group is O+
How did you become a blood plasma donor?
Since I am settled in Australia, I decided I needed to give back something to the community. And realized that giving blood donation would be one such way. The other good thing here is you could donate blood even after age 65, unlike in many countries, where you're not allowed to give blood after 65. Donating blood also made me feel worthy that I was helping to save and improve lives.
What is the process of donating plasma?
After adjusting my work commitments I would make a booking with the blood bank for an appropriate time depending on the availability. Once I reached the blood bank after the regular paperwork to check on my health condition I would be taken to the room and given a comfortable chair and a warm blanket. During the donation process, the nurses would come and make sure I was comfortable and would give me some cold drinks if I wanted some.
Why do people donate blood plasma (blood is made up of 55% plasma) instead of whole blood?
Blood plasma has many more uses and users than whole blood donation as it can be used for producing vaccines and for supporting people with various health issues, including rabies, and tetanus, for treating people with cancer and malignancies, heart surgeries, etc. Believe me…donating plasma is a game changer for society. Learn more here
According to the Red Cross, a healthy individual can donate blood every 56 days. How often can you donate blood plasma?
Plasma can be donated every two weeks.
Have there been milestones in your blood plasma donation?
Yes, there have been milestones in my blood plasma donations….When I completed 25, 50.75, and 100 donations.
Amazing…You have completed 100 plasma donations. What motivates you to keep donating so purposefully?
Basically, it has become addictive and I feel - Why not? - at least I'm helping people.
How does your family feel about your frequent blood donations?
They are very proud of my consistent commitment to blood donation, so much so that my daughter has started giving donations herself. And my son has decided to start giving blood himself very soon. Also, two of my close friends have started giving whole blood donations after they heard about it from me.
Have you had any impact on health because of donating plasma twice a month?
Not so far.
Are there any side effects and risks?
Not to my knowledge.
Is Australia’s demand for blood plasma more than other countries?
Yes, there's a great demand in Australia because one of the world's largest vaccine producers is located in Australia, in Melbourne. They produce numerous vaccines and send them all over the world.
How do you encourage people to donate blood?
Generally, conversations start after people see me sporting the colorful bandage after donation. I tell them about plasma donation, I tell them that I have completed 100 donations. I let them know that you feel good and - No, I don't feel weak. I tell them that except for time, it costs them nothing and they should give it a try. And they really have nothing much to lose because it is done very professionally. The biggest motivating factor is when I tell them that by donating plasma they will be helping someone in need and saving someone’s life.
