Contributing to the Blood Bank
Today, I made my semi-regular visit to the blood bank and had 450g withdrawn. It was a painless exercise and the centre at the Singapore General Hospital was extremely efficient about the process. The nurses are proficient about locating and inserting the needle with minimal fuss and the whole procedure was over in 30 minutes.
It is a ongoing challenge for health authorities to ensure a reliable and safe supply of blood. Ever since the onset of HIV and other infectious diseases, the screening processes are now very stringent. In Singapore, potential donors to fill out a three page questionnaire about their sexual, medical and travel history. There are separate questions for checking for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, other infectious blood diseases that might have been picked up from travelling (mad cow disease and SARS are amongst the few). There are penalties for providing false information too.
At the same time, the need to maintain sufficient blood stocks is a constant concern. Mobile blood banks are popular because they allow working adults to donate during lunchtime. Even so, stocks dip below a safety threshold once in a while. Singapore has a dedicated website that publishes this information, organised by blood type, at www.donorweb.org. Anytime a particular type runs low, a additional publicity is organised.