Database of voluntary blood donors

 The frantic appeal posted on social media networks by relatives of critically ill patients indicates that the availability of blood continues to be a challenge despite the significant increase in the number of blood donors in India. Encouraging more people to become voluntary blood donors can help address the problem. For people in need of emergency blood transfusions, the availability of information about blood donors is crucial so that they can approach them. Digital media and social media networks have brought new opportunities for sharing appeals for blood donation much faster than before. Members of voluntary donation organisations earlier used to share such information over the phone and rush their donors to donate blood for the needy. Information, in such a scenario, was limited to members of the organisation or other blood donors’ organisations they knew. Digital media has now enabled spreading the appeal to a wider network of blood donors instantly and simultaneously. People who are unable to donate blood can at least share such a message to bring those to the attention of voluntary blood donors or organisations. The National Estimation of Blood Requirement in India, carried out by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), found that about 42 crore of the of the adult population in India is eligible for blood donation, but the country continues to face the problem of less supply of blood than the demand in health establishments. The urgent need, therefore, is to encourage first-time blood donors to volunteer for regular blood donation and motivate more people to come forward for blood donation. Due to a lack of correct information, the majority of people are influenced by myths linked to blood donation that discourage them from donating blood. Some of the myths are that blood donation causes weakness, that the process is painful, and that it may cause health issues. Organising more awareness camps on blood donation can help debunk these myths. More emphasis should be laid on building awareness among young children so that by the time they grow into adulthood and are eligible to donate blood, they have no fear or apprehension about volunteering for it. According to NACO, any healthy adult, both male and female, can donate blood. Men can donate blood safely once every three months, and women can donate blood safely once every four months. It is the responsibility of the blood collection centres to assess the health of donors, and they will accept donations from a voluntary donor only when they are found to be healthy enough to donate. Apart from urgent blood transfusion requirements, healthcare institutions also need a steady supply of blood for the treatment of patients suffering from chronic illnesses. Due to the shortage in supply to meet demand, hospitals and blood banks continue to insist on replacing donations so that they do not run out of emergency stocks. Sometimes, family members of a patient find it difficult to arrange anyone within the family or among relatives for the replacement units of blood. The ideal situation is that a family does not have to be troubled by the worry of searching for a replacement unit of blood when they are already traumatised by the emergency health condition of their loved ones. Such a situation will only be possible when every hospital and every blood bank has an adequate blood supply from voluntary donations. The society’s recognition of the role of voluntary donors can motivate others to come forward. Voluntary organisations promoting blood donations should encourage even those people who are willing to donate but find it unhealthy to donate regularly to become active members to spread awareness about blood donation. One advantage of including even non-donors in the organisation as volunteers is that they can help people looking for voluntary donors for an emergency replacement unit establish contact with donors in their organisation. Social media platforms provide the opportunity to keep sharing information regularly so that awareness of blood donation and contacts of donors are available on a real-time basis. States establishing more blood banks and mobile blood collection vans will facilitate donors regular voluntary blood  donation. The initiative of the Assam government to increase the fleet of mobile blood donation vans in the state is laudable. It is reassuring to know that the state government plans to provide one mobile blood donation van to each district hospital. The allocation of adequate funds for the maintenance of these vans is critical to keeping them functioning optimally. Public sector undertakings and private health care sectors can play a crucial role in bolstering the voluntary blood donation campaign by shouldering the responsibility of improving blood collection and blood transfusion facilities and organising frequent blood donation camps. Building an easily accessible database of blood donors should be prioritised by all stakeholders. It will lessen the worry of people in urgent need of blood for relatives, as they will know whom to contact immediately instead of depending on the response to their appeal posted by social media networks.