With a motto like 'Give blood and keep the world beating' World Blood Donor Day this year strives to keep the Blood Banks in proper shape, despite the travails of an ongoing pandemic. Some committed blood donors share their views and talk about how they have gone ahead with blood donation despite the challenges posed by Covid 19.
Shubhojit Kumar Ganguly
1. How often do you donate blood? Why?
About once in 3 months depending on the need of the patients. Being a member of a Blood donor group, I keep getting requests.
2. Has it been different for the Covid period?
Yes, with the threat of the Pandemic and the lockdowns, I have been hesitant to travel or to go to hospitals/nursing homes that were not so careful about maintaining Covid protocols.
3. How did you overcome the challenges?
I asked for transport to be provided by the patient caregiver and preferred donating blood to blood collection centers or places of which I am confident about the hygiene standards.
4. If you have donated blood before or after vaccination.
I had taken my first shot in April and had last donated blood in February for a patient about to go in for an operation. I was supposed to again donate blood in end of April this year, but that didn’t happen as the patient needed a specific blood group.
Related Reading: Blood donation Guidelines
Anirvanjyoti Chaudhuri
1. How often do you donate blood? Why?
I usually donate blood about 4 times a year, since 1986. I donate primarily because unless there are sufficient voluntary donors, blood banks have to depend on paid donors, and given the usual socio-economic profile of paid donors, it may be harmful to these paid donors to give blood.
2. Has it been different for the Covid period?
No. I have donated as usual over the last year.
3. How did you overcome the challenges?
I took adequate precautions to protect myself before visiting blood banks to donate.
4.If you have donated blood before or after vaccination.
I received my first dose of vaccine in April. I have not donated since then. I should be eligible to donate 2 months after my second dose.
Satarupa Dutta
1. How often do you donate blood? Why?
I donate blood whenever I get a request to do so. Sometimes it is once or twice a year, and sometimes it is years before I get a chance to donate. There is no particular reason why I do so. It is the least I can do to help someone in dire need of a critical component, which is blood, which I am able to donate.
2. Has it been different for the Covid period? How did you overcome the challenges?
Yes, it has been different during the Pandemic. In May 2020, I donated blood to a 13 year old girl who suffered from thalassemia. It was during the peak of the first lockdown and a couple of days after the Amphan cyclone had lashed the state of West Bengal. I could not go to the blood donation center as there was no public transport available. Many roads were blocked with uprooted trees and lamp posts. Luckily the mother of the girl could arrange for transport.
3. If you have donated blood before or after vaccination.
I have only received my first vaccination jab and I have not donated blood since.
Sujoy Sen
1.How often do you donate blood? Why?
I have been part of a blood donation camp for the last 15 to 20 years because of which I donate blood at least once a year. The blood collected at this camp is then donated to an institution caring for Thalassemia children. Gifts like school bags, exercise books, pencils, and water bottles are also distributed on that days to the needy school going children.
2. Has it been different for the Covid period? How did you overcome the challenges?
We maintained strict restrictions during the blood donation camp held last year. There was a paucity of space for the blood donation camp to be conducted because of Covid, because of which we arranged for 5 or 6 mobile units (Ambulances) where the donors could donate blood. It was a challenge to have the beds inside the Ambulances sanitized and also adequate protection was required for both the donors and the technicians.
3. If you have donated blood before or after vaccination.
I have not donated blood this year, after taking my first shot of the vaccine.
