Is there something called the writer's block? For mundane people like us, or rather me, Yes it's very much there. It's been a while, somehow just not able to wrap my mind around this. This wall. Starting a new Blog. Just its and bits. Random thoughts, meandering here and there.
I donated blood. For the second time in the span of a year. So here's the rub. Both times I became a blood donor because there was a surgery of a family member and we needed blood as a reserve. I mean of course it was voluntary, but until there was a specific requirement, I hadn't stepped up to the plate. And it's not the first time. Donated blood earlier too, when a blood donation campaign stared me in the face. And that's the point. There are so many of us who want to be donor's but just don't get around to it. And to take it a few steps further - organ donors! The Choir croons : "Yes, I'm in!" But we just don't know how, and have a general confusion about everything like "...anyway, that would be way after we kick the bucket!!? Hmm???"
Infact I'm sure that many, like me, would want to donate their organs. I would want my body to be used for medical science - after death of course ( yo friends with the knives, hang on for a while... Avast dementors). Body Donation/Anatomical donation (Updated : 28 mar 18 - Correct terminology as suggested by Dr Shabana Saleem - Thank you Doc)
Getting back to my hallelujah moment. Both times the blood was required, just in case the surgery led to some complications. Both times my blood group, O+ve, was different from the intended recipient. Both times it remained in reserve, hopefully used by someone. There are four types of transfusable products that can be derived from blood: red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. Typically, two or three of these are produced from a unit of donated whole blood – hence both times a pint may have helped save up to three lives (check this source link on 'Blood Donation Facts', apheresis and more). And both times, I guess I notched up a brownie point enroute heaven. Kidding.
Why I am writing about this? It should be not be a big deal? "There are lots of blood donors out there?" Nope, not really! The big deal is that a lot more needs to be done, and a lot of people, like me, are absolutely clueless about the process! The fact is that Blood cannot be manufactured – it can only come from donors! Every year India requires about 5 Crore units of blood, out of which only a meager 2.5 Crore units of blood are available (source Friends2Support ) The wiki link to an official report shows a lower shortage. But whatever the shortage, tell that to the one who missed a donor!!
So I started checking around. At the blood bank and online. And not rocket science stuff like "will I become weak if I donate blood?" (Ok, wait one, if you really (really??) haven't seen the myriad info sheets-ads-etc ...... The answer to that specific Q is - NO and a healthy person can donate blood every 90 days).
And the disclaimer - this is not the be all and end all blog post on blood/organ donation. Just one step, one more step, to spread awareness on an issue that requires us to :-
STOP-THINK-ACT
NOW
NOW
Also there's reams of stuff in print and on the web. I'll try to keep it simple, share my experiences and put links for those who want to delve deeper. And I figure if you're serious, you will delve deeper.
I'll split this four ways:-
Blood donation
- Anytime, a healthy you, just walk in walk out
- Anytime, a healthy you, just walk in walk out
Eye donation
- Preferably within the hour but can extend Up to eight hours post mortem, by medicos and under strict medical supervision.
Organ Donation
- In a hospital, if brain dead. And organs need to be harvested by medicos and transported under strict medical supervision. However some organs /tissues can be donated by living persons also. (This is a US Gov link on living organ donation process).
Medical Research - Body Donation
- yep much like the zombie movies. But, we'll leave it to the docs.
For the last three, I suggest that you discuss the issues with your near and dear ones and explain your intentions. It is they who may have to give the final consent, and, take that emotional decision, which may involve pulling the plug. Please check "Organ India" Link given here.
For the casual reader I suggest you stop at this brief, Check your local resource, and, spend 30 minutes at a local blood bank. Others may like to scroll on past the jump-break, (click on the "Read more" link below) for a little more on information and links that may come in handy. This is a voluntary experience that you will not regret.
- Preferably within the hour but can extend Up to eight hours post mortem, by medicos and under strict medical supervision.
Organ Donation
- In a hospital, if brain dead. And organs need to be harvested by medicos and transported under strict medical supervision. However some organs /tissues can be donated by living persons also. (This is a US Gov link on living organ donation process).
Medical Research - Body Donation
- yep much like the zombie movies. But, we'll leave it to the docs.
For the last three, I suggest that you discuss the issues with your near and dear ones and explain your intentions. It is they who may have to give the final consent, and, take that emotional decision, which may involve pulling the plug. Please check "Organ India" Link given here.
For the casual reader I suggest you stop at this brief, Check your local resource, and, spend 30 minutes at a local blood bank. Others may like to scroll on past the jump-break, (click on the "Read more" link below) for a little more on information and links that may come in handy. This is a voluntary experience that you will not regret.
Blood Donation
Blood Donation in India. Check this Wikipedia link. This is a comprehensive resource. The process is pretty straightforward. So I suggest you check with your local BB or hospital and register yourself pronto
Organisations. There are many organisations in India doing stellar work in this field, Some are listed here(Source link on Wikipedia)
New Delhi: Rotary Blood Bank
All india : Indian Red Cross Society
Bengaluru : Khoon Organization, Sankalp India Foundation
Goa /All india : Save Life India (Art of living foundation)
Chennai : Lions Blood Bank
Mumbai : Think Foundation
Solapur : Athar Blood Bank
Nashik : Heroes Organization
Jehanabad, Arwal, Patna : Raktam
Donor Guidelines. There are a lot of myths around this, despite the intense media campaign. Here's a to-go link that you may find interesting for Donor guidelines, Criteria for being eligible, preparation and post donation dos and don'ts.
Tests. The rest of the tests are done by the blood bank. As I understand it, in India, it is mandatory to test every unit of blood collected for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, syphilis and malaria.
My Experience. It was a cakewalk. 10 min of your time. A pin prick, lotsa smiles and a calorie loaded sweet sugary juice to drink afterwards (nah no chilled beer man). My experience tells me that if you donate blood due to a request by a hospital for an impending surgery, the blood bank will charge you a certain small token amount to reserve the required blood type. Quite understandable, even the for-charity blood banks have to sustain themselves. Infra Costs, salaries etc. In Vizag I went to A.S. Raja Voluntary Blood Bank, next to Care Hospital. I paid Rs 300 to reserve two units of blood. In case there is an actual requirement of blood you would need to pay an additional Rs 600. Again it is mandatory that the intended recipients blood sample is submitted to the blood bank for cross-matching at least 2 hours before the surgery. The cross matching would be for existing blood in the BB. They took only one unit from me and I had to request a friend for another unit. Surprisingly they were not too keen on a lady donor, as they assume (???) that she may have a low hemoglobin count. The previous time, for me, it was at an army hospital so there was no money involved. Check govt hospitals for similar arrangements. Both times a pin prick, some tests, blood group, Rh etc. Then you lie down on a weird kind of inverted dentists chair. A minor pin prick. 5-10 mins. Another few minutes rest, a sweet drink and off you go. Basically a walk in the park. So fear not, it's a great feeling at the end of the process.
Visakhapatnam. Here is a link for blood banks in Vizag. And the one I accessed is : A.S. Raja Voluntary Blood Bank. adjacent to Care Hospital, Opp. Circuit House, Waltair Main Road, Visakhapatnam
Eye Donation
Eye Donation in India. Of the 1 crore blind people in India 11 Lac suffer from corneal blindness, with an annual increase of about 30,000 cases each year. The current availability is a meagre 37,000 with only 50% of these useful for implant.(Source: Narayana Jyoti Trust).
I have reproduced the "How and When" from the FAQ section from the website of the Eye Bank Association of India (EBAI link):-
> Eyes should be donated within 6-8 hrs of death.”> Anyone can be donor, irrespective of age, sex, blood group or religion.”
> Anyone with cataract or spectacles can donate eyes. ”
> Person suffering from hypertension, diabetes can also donate eyes.”
> Total procedures take 15-20 minutes. There is no disfigurement of the face of the donor.”
> Anyone can be donor, irrespective of age, sex, blood group or religion.”
> Eyes can be donated even if the deceased had not formally pledged their eyes during their lifetime.”
> Eye Bank team will rush over to the donor’s home or any other place where the body is available after death. This is free service in public interest.”
> After pledging please inform your family about your wish to donate eyes, so that they can fulfill your wish.”
Organisations. I accessed the National Health portal ( for a 2016 National Eye Donation Fortnight campaign) .These are the References that I verified are correct:-
Mumbai : www.rotaryeyebank.com
At Vizag Sankar Eye Foundation is definitely worth a visit. Though the hospital does not have an eye bank (as of Mar 2018) it is providing yeoman service for the needy and poor, and your donations can help.
Other Eye Banks in India
Delhi : National Eye Bank AIIMS
List of Eye Banks State Wise (Source: Narayana Jyoti Trust)
Organ Donation
Organ Donation in India. The Numbers are really stacked up in our country, but before the bleak stats, Here's the good news. One donor can save upto 8 lives an heal upto 50 through tissue donation. You can make the difference, even after you pass on. The Better India page on organ donation gives the following mind boggling stats:-
> 500,000 people die because of non-availability of organs
> 200,000 people die of liver disease
> 50,000 people die from heart disease
> 150,000 people await a kidney transplant but only 5,000 get one
> 1,000,000 lakh people suffer from corneal blindness and await transplant
A resource you may want to check. The Donate Organs Save Lives is an online platform to drive awareness about organ donation in India. (facebook link). You can register here
> 500,000 people die because of non-availability of organs
> 200,000 people die of liver disease
> 50,000 people die from heart disease
> 150,000 people await a kidney transplant but only 5,000 get one
> 1,000,000 lakh people suffer from corneal blindness and await transplant
A resource you may want to check. The Donate Organs Save Lives is an online platform to drive awareness about organ donation in India. (facebook link). You can register here
In India, a panel of 4 doctors has to declare you brain dead before your organs can be harvested – this is done after a series of exhaustive tests – Cornea reflex test, Ear reflex test, Gag reflex test and Aphena reflex test – which are repeated twice in a time frame of six hours. The panel must include – the medical administrator in charge of the hospital, an authorized specialist, a neurologist/neuro-surgeon and the medical officer treating patient. In most countries around the world, these tests are done only once. (Source : The Better India)
Organisations. You must check out the following links to register as an organ donor(Source : The Better India). I have verified the following links:-
> Mohan Foundation: http://mohanfoundation.org/> Shatayu: http://shatayu.org.in/
> Gift Your organ: http://giftyourorgan.org/
> For any queries regarding organ donation, you may also call – 1800 103 7100 (Toll free by MOHAN Foundation- updated no and verified on 26 mar 2018)
So that's a pretty lengthy blog for a writers block. If you have had the patience to read this I'm sure you would be agree that we can make a difference. Please feel free to share this blog and post updates/links/comments on the comments section below. And so the journey continues. Thankyou.
All links verified as on 26 mar 2018
Update : 28 Mar 18
Organisations. You must check out the following links to register. Hospitals accepting Voluntary Body Donation in India:-
- Link as per Mohan Foundation
- Link as per Organ India
Update : 28 Mar 18
Body Donation
Body Donation in India. Please see this link for India. I guess this would be the aspect that would raise most issues. So a few points:-
> Donation of of whole body for Medical research and education
> Medical school use to teach anatomy to students, research, study of new surgical procedure
> Ususally required to make prior arrangements, for consent form, policies and procedures after donor is deceased
Some Myths busted ( reproduced from "Mohan Foundation" Website)
Myth - The organs will be removed from the dead person and distributed for transplantation
Fact - This is false.
Myth - All private medical college hospitals can take voluntary donation.
Fact - This is false. Private medical colleges can only take unclaimed bodies as per Anatomy Act. Very few such colleges have got permission for voluntary donation.
Myth - When multi-organ donation has been done, the body can be accepted for donation.
Fact - This is false. When multi-organ donation is done the body cannot be donated since it will not be useful for study purposes.
> Donation of of whole body for Medical research and education
> Medical school use to teach anatomy to students, research, study of new surgical procedure
> Ususally required to make prior arrangements, for consent form, policies and procedures after donor is deceased
Some Myths busted ( reproduced from "Mohan Foundation" Website)
Myth - The organs will be removed from the dead person and distributed for transplantation
Fact - This is false.
Myth - All private medical college hospitals can take voluntary donation.
Fact - This is false. Private medical colleges can only take unclaimed bodies as per Anatomy Act. Very few such colleges have got permission for voluntary donation.
Myth - When multi-organ donation has been done, the body can be accepted for donation.
Fact - This is false. When multi-organ donation is done the body cannot be donated since it will not be useful for study purposes.
Organisations. You must check out the following links to register. Hospitals accepting Voluntary Body Donation in India:-
- Link as per Mohan Foundation
- Link as per Organ India
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