Facts & Figures

Why to Donate Blood

The most precious gift that one can give to another person is the gift of life i.e. blood. It is the essence of life.
Your blood saves more than one life when it is separated into its components (red blood cells, plasma etc.).
Blood is needed regularly for patients with diseases such as thalassemia and hemophilia, and also for the treatment of injuries after an accident, major surgeries, anemia, etc.
It improves your health.

Less likely to suffer diseases
Did you know that people who donate blood are 88% less likely to suffer a heart attack and 33% less likely to acquire any type of cardiovascular disease.
When you donate blood, it removes 225 to 250 milligrams of iron from your body, hence reducing the risk of heart disease.
Blood Center performs numerous tests on the donated blood. Therefore regular blood donation helps in sheilding you from serious diseases.

One unit of donated blood can save up to three lives.
You can donate blood every three months. It only takes 48 hours for your body fluids to be completely replenished.
Scientists have estimated the volume of blood in the human body to be eight percent of body weight.
There are 1,00,000 miles of blood vessels in an adult human body.
A red blood cell can make a complete circuit of your body in 30 seconds.
White blood cells make up about 1% of your blood.

According to a 2012 World Health Organisation (WHO) report, only nine million units are collected annually, while the need is for 12 million units.
Delhi NCR alone faces a shortage of 1,00,000 units per year.
The shelf-life of donated blood is 35 to 42 days. There is a constant need to replenish stocks in our blood banks.
Healthy donors are between the age of 18 to 65 years.
Statistics show that there are 234 million major operations in India, 63 million trauma-induced surgeries, 31 million cancer-related procedures and 10 million pregnancy related complications which require blood transfusions.

Content Courtesy: eRaktKosh website

Human blood is always Red due to iron in hemoglobin. Some animals, like octopuses have Blue Blood due to Copper-based Hemocyanin.

Your Blood Vessels would stretch over 1,00,000 kilometers, if laid end to end – that's enough to circle the earth twice.