The Gift of Life
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 02, 2012 -

Blood Donation Drive at Miss Manipur 2011

The preciousness of human blood is such that nothing is comparable to it.

In spite of rapid development in technology and remarkable conquests in medical science, there is no factory where human blood could be manufactured. It is only we, the human beings, who produce and circulate blood.

So, for those who require blood for saving their lives, sharing from other fellowmen and women is the only means.

That is why we say, blood donation is truly a "gift of life" that a healthy individual who is within the age group of 18 to 60 years can give to his fellow beings in need of blood.

In fact, in one hour's time, an individual can donate one unit of blood to save multiple lives. From that one unit of blood, four different components can be separated to save as minimum as four lives.

Firstly, Red Blood cells can be extracted for use in trauma and surgical patients. Secondly, Plasma, the liquid part of blood, could be administered to patients with clotting problems.

The third component of blood, Platelets, clots the blood when cuts or other open wounds occur and are often used in cancer and transplant patients.

Fourthly, Cyroprecipitated anti-hemophilic factor (AHF) or 'cryo' for short is a frozen blood product prepared from plasma, which could also be used as clotting factors in excessive bleeding.

Thus, if an individual starts donating blood at the age of 18 years for every 90 days until he reached 60 years, he/she would have donated 30 gallons of blood, which is potential enough to save more than 500 lives.

Taking into consideration of this important greatest gift that one gives to mankind, every year June 14 is being observed as World Blood Donor Day to mark the birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner (June 14, 1868-June 26, 1943), an Austrian physician, who discovered the first three human blood groups in 1901.

In addition to this, in India October 1 is observed as National Voluntary Blood Donation Day to create awareness on safe blood, clear myths surrounding blood donation and motivate the people to cultivate the habit of donating blood regularly to prevent blood shortages.

The significance of the observance is also felt even more in Manipur where the only three existing blood banks at RIMS, JNIMS and Churachandpur District Hospital (the blood bank at Shija Hospitals and Research Institute, Langol, which was inaugurated recently is yet to be functional) could collect just around 2000 units of blood in a year though the actual requirement is around 20,000 units.

If lack of voluntary blood donors is the main reason behind this shortage, then we definitely need to step up efforts to encourage potential blood donors to come forward so that safe and adequate blood is available to all those in need.

In the absence of voluntary blood donors to replenish the drying blood banks, replacement of the required blood by directed donors, who are mostly family members, relatives and friends of the patients, after paying necessary testing fee, has been the norm in Manipur.

This brings us to the question, where does the blood donated by voluntary donors actually go?

If the 'gift of life' in the blood banks is for use in emergency cases to save lives, then whose 'precious' lives?

Who are the patients coming under the category of these emergency cases?

Satisfactory answers need to be given to all these questions if we want more voluntary blood donors in Manipur.

Otherwise, shouting slogan, 'Donate Blood, Save Life' would remain a meaningless exercise.