The Importance of Donating Blood for Health, Society and Country

 

Blood is the main source of human vitality. Blood is the only 'living entity' in the world in which there is no race, no caste. Rich and poor, black and white all have the same blood characteristics and colour.

Man is a social being. As such, people have some social and moral responsibilities towards each other. And voluntary blood donation is one of them. Blood donation is a great humanitarian work. There can be no other great human work in the world like this where another human life can be saved through the other blood.

Blood is an essential and one of the most important components of the human body. If there is full blood, the human body will be alive and active. And when anemia occurs, the body becomes useless and weak, and the vitality goes down. This essential element is not made in factories, nor is it made in large labs and laboratories. Despite the best efforts of scientists, it has not yet been possible to create an alternative second blood component, nor is it expected to be available in the near future.

People need to donate blood. Blood donation is so important to save lives that it is said, 'Give blood, save a life', 'Time you yield to blood donation, ten minutes saves a life.' Every year on June 14, 'World Blood Donor Day' is celebrated across the world. This day is celebrated across the world to evaluate, recognize and motivate the blood donors who have helped save the lives of countless dying patients by donating blood voluntarily.

The purpose of this day is also to ensure voluntary blood donation and proper use of blood to keep the people of the country safe from deadly diseases like AIDS, Hepatitis-B and Hepatitis-C.

World Blood Donor Day was first observed in 2004. Every year since the World Health Assembly in 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been urging people to observe the day. June 14, is the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the inventor of blood group (A, B, AB, O). To the remembrance of Karl Landsteiner, from June 14, 2004 has been observed as World Blood Donor Day. The slogan for 2023 World Blood Donor Day is “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often.”

According to one statistic, 107 crore bags of blood are collected in the world every year. Of these, 31 percent are voluntary blood donors and 59 percent are relative blood donors. In about 60 countries of the world, blood is collected through 100% voluntary blood donation. In the developed world the rate of voluntary blood donation is 40 within per thousand and in the developing world it is less than 4 within per thousand. According to experts, if the 2% of the country's population donates blood once a year, there will be no shortage of blood in our country.

Blood is life. The human body needs blood so much that no one can survive without it. Blood transfusions are often needed on an emergency basis to save a dying patient. For example, in case of excessive bleeding, vomiting of blood or blood in the stool, accidental patients, surgical patients, childbirth, cancer or other complex diseases, anemia, thalassemia, hemophilia, dengue, hemorrhagic fever, etc., blood transfusions are required.

In developing countries like Bangladesh, 5 to 6 lakh bags of blood are required annually, of which only 31 percent is obtained through voluntary blood donors. The rest of the blood is mostly collected through professional blood donors and relatives and friends.

Any healthy person between the ages of 18 and 65, whose body weight is above 45 kg, can donate blood regularly after 4 months (120 days). However, if you want to give blood, you have to be free from some diseases. According to the World Health Organization, safe blood circulation requires the presence of at least 5 blood-borne diseases in the blood donor's body. These diseases are Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV or AIDS virus, Malaria and Syphilis. Only after screening for these diseases can the blood be declared fit to enter the patient's body. However, at the same time the blood of the donor has to be grouped and cross-matched with the blood of the patient. In addition, the blood donor is examined to see if he is physically fit to donate blood, his body weight, temperature, pulse rate, anemia, or the presence of jaundice.

In our country, it is seen that many people are afraid of donating blood. Some people think that it will harm their health, weaken them or make them sick. Some people think that it will weaken the heart or lower the blood pressure, and even reduce the efficiency. As a result, some superstitions and ignorance often discourage people from donating blood.

There is no harm in donating blood to any healthy person. This is how the red blood cells in our blood are destroyed in the normal process for 4 consecutive months(120 days). So it is better to donate it voluntarily to save the life of another than to ruin it. Saving a life by donating a small amount of blood is undoubtedly a great job. Regular blood donation is good for health. Donating blood is not a difficult, adventurous or impossible task, but a beautiful human mind is needed for blood donation. Blood donation does not harm the body, but regular blood donation is very beneficial to the body. Such as:

1. Blood donation reduces the risk of hypertension and lowers blood cholesterol levels. This reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and other serious diseases. The heart stays well and the blood donor stays healthy and vibrant.

2. The bone marrow is the factory for making blood cells in the body. Regular blood donation puts pressure on the bone marrow to make new particles. As a result, the bone marrow remains active. Even if there is sudden bleeding due to any accident or any other reason, the body can easily fill it.

3. At the time of donating blood, the presence of various germs in the blood is tested. As a result, the blood donor can know whether he is suffering from any contagious disease or not.

4. Regular blood donation also increases the body's resistance to disease.

5. Blood grouping and various tests are done while giving blood. As a result, the blood donor can find out if there is any disease in his blood group or body.

6. Usually the organization to which the blood is donated makes a 'donor card'. With this card, the blood donor can get blood from that organization for the rest of his life.

7. Blood donation is a great work, which makes the blood donor noble and humane as a human being. The biggest debt of blood donors is to save the lives of helpless and endangered people.

8. Blood donation is a work of virtue or thawab from a religious point of view. Saving a person's life is a great job.

9. From all human, social and religious points of view, the blood donor feels indescribable joy and also gets special status socially. The recipient and his family are forever indebted to the blood donor for saving his life. It is not possible to express in words what joy it is for the giver.

 As a human being, blood donation is our moral and social responsibility. It is a completely humanitarian and non-communal activity. Blood donation strengthens social bonds, enhances social responsibility, and even promotes religious harmony.

Regardless of race, religion and caste, everyone's blood is the same--red in color. There is no difference. So blood donation eliminates the difference between black and white, eliminates religious differences. The symptom that does in minds of the people of our country when it comes to blood donation is 'fear'. The unreasonable fear of a "little needle" is by no means desirable to the people of a country that shed blood in 1952, 1969 and 1971.

Blood donation is a great humanitarian work. We have to come forward to donate blood voluntarily. We also have to join the "Give Blood, Save Lives" movement.
 

Emran Emon is a researcher,
journalist and columnist.