Pranav Agarwal, 39, who has been donating blood for the last 21 years and has recently converted to being a regular platelet donor, talks about how a unit of blood from a single individual can potentially help 5 recipients and encourages people to come forward to donate blood to save more lives.
When did you first donate blood? Could you tell us a little bit how it started?
From an early age, I had thought about becoming a blood donor. Like everyone else, I was a little squeamish at the thought of the needle in my arm. I was also concerned about the replenishment of my own blood after donating. I remember the exact date that I started donating blood, it was on Monday, 20th July 1998, one day after I had turned 18. Coincidentally, there was a blood donation drive at my college. They had a very good doctor in charge, who explained all the benefits of blood donation and how a unit of blood from a single individual can potentially help 5 recipients. I, along with two of my friends, decided to go ahead with it. And, so I donated blood on the very first day that I was eligible to do so.
Since the first occasion, how many times have you donated blood?
I have not kept a count of my donations. It is not a matter of pride or status for me. It’s something I always wanted to do. It gives me immense satisfaction making an anonymous contribution towards saving human lives. However, a healthy person can donate blood 4 times in a year. And, I have been a regular donor from 1998 to 2013, after which I converted to being a regular Platelet Donor. I donate blood now only in case of emergencies.
People generally donate blood once and seldom go for repeat. What motivates you to go again and again?
The first time I donated blood, due to the slight hesitation in my mind about what would happen to me, I got a bit dizzy for 2 minutes when I sat up after the bleeding, but after that I had the customary coffee and biscuits and I had an absolutely normal day at college. The feeling of possibly having saved someone’s life, or better still, up to five lives with one unit of blood is amazing. When a patient’s relative calls me and says that they cannot thank me enough for what I have done for their parent, or sibling, or relative, it is enough to motivate me to go back and do it again and again.
What is your blood group? Are you a universal donor?
My blood group is O Positive. And yes, persons with O positive blood group are considered as universal donors as this type of blood can be used for patients with any blood type.
Do you prepare yourself before a blood donation?
Yes, Blood donation is a bit like running a marathon, you need to prepare for it. Some tips to prepare for blood donation are as simple as you need to have had a sound sleep through the night and you need to have eaten something within the time frame of 4 hours before donation. So, I make sure that I tuck in early the previous night when possible, and wake up fresh and have a healthy breakfast right before heading out for a donation. In case I get a call in the middle of the day, I make sure before leaving for the donation that I eat my lunch.
To be a regular donor, your medical parameters have to be sound. How do you ensure your health is good?
To be very honest, as important as blood donation is to me, I did take my health for granted earlier. However, I met someone one day who could not donate blood because he had diabetes and in the same week came across someone who could not donate because he had high blood pressure. This changed me totally as I have a family history of Diabetes and Blood Pressure. As I was a little overweight, I took a conscious decision to try to lose weight and also made sure that I changed my lifestyle to make sure I stay fit and healthy to be able to donate blood and platelets through my life. I inculcated better eating habits and a routine exercise regime in to my lifestyle. I do not drink alcohol, nor do I smoke, which helps me be ready to donate at a moment’s notice.
Related: Blood Donation Guidelines
Can I donate blood if I have diabetes
How many units of blood can a healthy person donate at a time?
Any healthy person between the age of 18 to 65, weighing above 45 kg or more can donate one unit of blood, i.e. 350 – 400 ml once in every three months. So over all in one year a healthy person can donate blood 4 times. Whereas the same person can donate Platelet every fifteen days and up to 24 times a year.
Where do you work? Are you able to perform your routine activities after blood donation?
I have my own business and need to keep traveling to and from work during the working hours. After the blood donation, I feel absolutely fine and go by my routine daily activities. But, I make sure that I stay very well hydrated and sufficiently fed during the entire day.
Do you know how many people have benefitted from you blood?
I am a regular Voluntary Blood and Platelet donor, which means that even if a blood requirement doesn’t come up, but I’m able to donate, I go to the closest hospital near me and donate. But, most of the times I have donated during blood or platelet requirements. I have met at least 14 – 15 beneficiary patients myself and spoken to many relatives over as many years of donating blood.
One very unique case I would like to mention here was when I received a call from a person who had obtained my number through the website www.indianblooddonors.com, on which I am registered as a Blood donor or from www.plateletdonors.org, on which I am registered as a Platelet donor. He introduced himself as Amardeep Nive and gave me details of the blood requirement and about the patient and asked me if I could come to donate. I agreed and told him that I would be there to donate at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. On enquiring from him about the patients name he said that he himself was the patient and that he had come from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh along with his wife alone for his treatment as no one in his family spoke with him anymore and his wife was illiterate and feared talking to people. His requirement was for platelets though and I had never donated platelets before. I knew the procedure and knew that the entire donation process would be roughly one and a half hour to two hour long, but I had decided if I had to make a start somewhere, I would start for Amardeep. As he had Blood cancer, he often required regular Platelet donations. I went on to donate platelet for him twice at Tata Memorial, Parel, Mumbai and then once at Tata Memorial Centre at Kharghar, New Bombay during his Bone Marrow Transplant surgery.
There is a severe blood shortage in India. Could you tell us the actual collection and annual requirement of blood in the country?
There is a very large gap between collection and the annual requirement of blood in India, because of the lack of awareness and fear of general public towards blood and platelet donation. As far as actual statistics go, I am sorry I am not aware of the hard numbers. However, the only way to bridge this gap is through spreading awareness about the benefits of blood and platelet donation, which we have started doing. I am fortunate enough that Mr.Khushroo Poacha, the founder of www.indianblooddonors.com & www.plateletdonors.org contacted me one day and asked me to get associated with him and help him spread awareness and coordinate donations within my city of Mumbai. We put up posters at hospitals and blood banks to make people aware of the benefits of Blood and Platelet donation and make sure the request that we get for donations are fulfilled. For both these organisations, there is a unique single number which can be helpful for patients to call or SMS for blood requirements and also each have an app wherein any patient or their relative can look for active donors in and around their area and city.
How would you encourage others to donate blood?
- I talk to all my friends and family and encourage them to take up blood donation, and fortunately a large number of my friends and family have become regular blood donors. Also a large number of relatives of patients that I have helped, during these years have also turned into regular blood donors as they themselves understood the importance of receiving blood on time. Recently, I have organised Blood Donation camps at a networking organisation that I am a part of, and plan to have a few more very soon.
- Also, my daughter is 12 years old and she is O negative blood group which is a rare blood group and is not very easily available. For a few years now, I have started speaking to her about blood donation and telling her how she was gifted with such a rare blood group and has come in this world with the ability and gift to help several others.
With deep regret we wish to inform our readers that Mr. Pranav Agarwal passed away in 2021. We will always be grateful for his efforts on Blood Donation over two decades.
