Have You Ever Donated Blood?

At the age 30, I had one resolution: donating blood. From recent awareness campaigns from the Blood Bank, I learnt that one unit of blood donated drive can already save up to 3 lives. I always believe in giving back to the society, helping the needy. I am thankful for my able body condition. Our body can regenerate blood, the beauty of nature. Be able to bless others through what is given to us, blood. 

With advancement of technology, the process of Blood Donation is now a breeze. Here’s a guide on how to donate blood in Singapore!

Step 1: Booking 

Use the blood bank app, log in through SingPass to book an appointment at any of the blood bank centres. 

You may also go to HSA Website with your SingPass to make an appointment. 

Step 2: Arrival at blood bank  

The whole process took only less than 75mins for me.  

• Pre-donation health condition check 
  • Questionnaire 
  • Blood test 
  • Consultation with Doctor 
• Blood donation 
  • Anesthetic will first be administered by the Nurses on our donation hand 
  • The 2^nd needle will be for the donation 
  • 15-30mins depending on individual blood flow condition 
• Post donation 
  • Rest for at least 10 mins at resting area 
  • Snacks and drinks will be provided 
  • Do inform the nurses if you are feeling unwell 

Step 3: Monitor your health condition for the next 1 week  

You should not do rigourous exercise in the next 48 hours. Also, refrain from exerting force on your hand that drew the blood. 

Other than that, life is very much as per normal after donation. I even rode around in my motorcycle without any discomfort at all! 

Why should we donate? 

Every hour of the day, 15 units of blood are needed in Singapore. That equates to 400 units per day and 12,000 units each month! 

Blood is needed to save lives in times of emergencies and to sustain the lives of those with medical conditions, like leukemia, thalassaemia and bleeding disorders, as well as patients who are undergoing major surgeries 

Through you blood donation, you can save lives in times of emergencies. Also, you can sustain the lives of patients going through medical condition such as leukaemia and those that require major surgeries. Furthermore, there are a total of 8 blood types [A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+, O-]. This only means that we need more blood donors to join the cause and help the patients!  

Why should we donate? 

You can visit any 4 Bloodbank managed by HSA or any of the community drives organised by partners of Red Cross Singapore.

Name	Location	Opening Hours
Bloodbank@HSA	Health Sciences Authority (Opposite Outram Park MRT Station) 11 Outram Road Singapore 169078 View map	Tuesday to Thursday: 9am to 5pm Friday: 9am to 8pm Saturday: 9am to 4.30pm Sunday: 9am to 4.30pm  Mondays and Public Holidays: Closed. New Year Eve, Chinese New Year Eve & Christmas Eve: 9am to 2pm (unless it is on Monday)
Bloodbank@Woodlands	Woodlands Civic Centre (Opposite Causeway Point) 900 South Woodlands Drive #05-07 Singapore 730900 View map	Monday, Wednesday to Friday: 12pm to 8pm Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 5pm Tuesdays and Public Holidays: Closed New Year Eve, Chinese New Year Eve and Christmas Day Eve: 9am to 2pm (Unless it is on Tuesday)
Bloodbank@Dhoby Ghuat	Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station Dhoby Xchange (Near Exit B) 11 Orchard Road #B1-01 to #B1-09 Singapore 238826 View map	Monday to Wednesday, and Friday: 12pm to 8pm Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 5pm Thursdays and Public Holidays: Closed New Year Eve, Chinese New Year Eve and Christmas Day Eve: 9am to 2pm (Unless it is on Thursday)
Bloodbank@Westgate Tower	Westgate Tower (Linked to Jurong East MRT Station) 1 Gateway Drive #10-01 to 05 Singapore 608531 View map	Monday and Tuesday: 12pm to 8pm Thursday and Friday: 12pm to 8pm Saturday to Sunday: 10am to 5pm Wednesdays and Public Holidays: Closed New Year Eve, Chinese New Year Eve and Christmas Day Eve: 9am to 2pm (Unless it is on Wednesday)
Community Drive	View Red Cross Singapore Website for updated list

Interested to organise a blood drive together? Write to me!

References: 
https://www.redcross.sg/give-blood/why-should-i-donate-blood.html