Today, 14 June, is World Blood Donor Day. In Switzerland, 700 blood donations are needed every day to save the lives of people who have had accidents or are ill. Read this health tip to find out who can donate and how the donation process works.
Blood donations are needed for cancer treatment, for accidents in which a lot of blood has been lost, and when there are complications in childbirth. Since blood can't be artificially produced, hospitals rely on donations. Unfortunately, only 2.5% of the Swiss population regularly donates blood, and because donations can't be stored for long, stocks of some blood groups can be very low. A whole blood donation (450 ml) takes less than an hour and can save someone’s life.
Who can donate?
Basically, any healthy person between 18 and 75 who weighs more than 50 kilograms can donate blood. You need to complete a questionnaire before each donation, with questions regarding current medication and past travel destinations and medical treatments. Whether or not you're eligible to donate is based on your questionnaire and a conversation with donation staff. If you're interested in donating blood, here's an initial donation check from the Swiss Red Cross. Before donating, your blood pressure, pulse and red blood cell count are also measured to make sure it's safe for you to donate.
What is there to consider before and after donating?
Before donating, it's important that you feel fit and healthy and have had enough to drink. You should also have plenty to drink afterwards, because it can take around 24 hours for your body to compensate for the loss of fluids. Immediately after donating, make sure you have enough time to stay lying down for a few minutes and allow the blood donation staff to take care of you. Light physical activity is possible, depending on how you feel, but you should avoid strenuous exercise.
How often can you give blood?
Depending on your height and weight, you have between five and six litres of blood. The body can easily handle a donation of 450 millilitres. Even so, you should allow a break of three to four months between donations so that enough blood cells can be replenished in your bone marrow.
A blood donation can make a big difference. Full information about giving blood and the eligibility criteria, as well as donation dates, can be found on the Swiss Red Cross website.
