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This article will help individuals involved in blood banking and voluntary blood donation movement realise how small steps that they take could help in paying a real and meaningful tribute to the selfless act of voluntary blood donation.
India celebrated National Voluntary blood donation day on 1st October 2013. Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health organised a function on the occasion inviting medical fraternity from nearly institutions. In the presence of eminent doctors and other staff members from Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases several topics relating to voluntary blood donation were discussed. IGICH was kind enough to invite Sankalp India Foundation to speak on the topic - 'Tribute to the Voluntary Blood Donors'. The ideas presented in the gathering are shared in this article.
A tribute is defined as 'an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration.'
WHO defines voluntary blood donation as - "A voluntary non-remunerated blood donor gives blood, plasma or cellular components of his or her own free will and receives no payment, either in the form of cash or in kind which could be considered a substitute for money. This would include time off work other than that reasonably needed for the donation and travel. Small tokens, refreshments and reimbursements of direct travel costs are compatible with voluntary, non-remunerated donation." In order to identify the best approach to give a tribute to blood donors let us go a step deeper. Let us start by answering 3 simple questions:
THE INTENT: WHY DO THE VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONORS DONATE?
They do not want anyone to suffer because of shortage of blood.
THE EXPECTATION: WHAT DOES BLOOD DONOR CARE FOR?
Safe, convenient and cordial environment to donate in
THE TAKE-BACK: WHAT IS IT THAT THE DONOR TAKES BACK?
The feel-good factor.
So what exactly will be the best tribute to voluntary blood donors?
Voluntary blood donation is one of the purest form of philanthropy and generosity. Thousands of them come forward each year to help. Words of acknowledgement of gratitude, respect, or admiration spoken on a single day are unlikely to reach them. So how exactly should medical community pay tribute to voluntary blood donors? In our opinion the real tribute to the voluntary blood donors is to "respect and deliver upon the intent, expectation and take-back of their act of donation."
Respecting the Intent
Keep blood available off the shelf: Voluntary blood donors seek to ensure that blood is always available off the shelf for patients. Voluntary blood donors donate blood so that no one suffers due to shortage of blood. The blood banks and the individuals keen on paying tribute must strive towards ensuring no patient should be made to go searching for blood. They must organise sufficient blood donation camps and maintain stock of ready for use tested components. In case blood is not available in-house, the blood bank should direct the patients to the Blood helpline: Looking for blood? Call 9480044444. State-wide helpline. or Karnataka State Drugs Control Department - Blood Bank System. Blood banks must avoid the coercive practice of replacement blood donors to the extent possible and gradually phase it out completely.
Issue proper blood requests: Hospitals and doctors could also have an important role in reducing the pain a family goes through in organising for blood. They could help by issuing proper blood requests. Insufficient counselling and improperly filled blood request forms make it extremely difficult for patients to organise for blood. Specifying proper components, indicating the level of urgency, properly signing and sealing the blood request form enables blood banks to better understand and cater to the need. Explaining what exactly is needed and by when enables families to get units with more ease.
Rational use and preventing wastage: Rational use and preventing wastage shows respect for every unit of blood donated by voluntary blood. Judicious and rational utilisation of blood components is essential to ensure not only patient’s safety but also to guarantee proper utilisation of blood. Request blood to be collected from blood banks only when the transfusion is un-avoidable. Blood issued from blood banks can never be taken back. Blood should not be stored for more than 1-2 hours outside the blood bank . When you are anticipating a need, ask the blood bank to cross-match and keep ready. Also the thumb rule - no transfusion is safe - needs to be kept in mind. Transfusions extend the stay in hospitals. Avoid transfusing as far as possible.
Fulfilling the Expectation and Responsibility
Safe, convenient and cordial environment to donate in: When the voluntary donors resolve to donate blood the least they expect is a safe, convenient and cordial environment to donate in. Core responsibility of blood banking is to ensure 100% compliance with any and every procedure relating to the safety and well being of the donor. Scientifically guided donor selection procedure is essential. Omissions in donor screening have ominous impact on safety of donor. Improper training and education of the screening staff has immense impact on VBD.
Blood donor’s do not expect to bear undue pain and adverse reactions. Only well trained and professionally competent medical personnel should interact with and handle blood donations. Teams which focus on donor’s safety have exhibited adverse events in less than 1.5% of donors while those who are habitually disregarding donor’s safety have 5-10% adverse events – some which are serious in nature! No better tribute than relentless commitment to the donor’s safety and well-being!
Abnormal Test Results: Blood bank make the donor sign the undertaking on the blood donor form specifically asking whether any positive test results should be communicated or not. The donor is given to understand that no update from blood bank implies no serologically positive result. It is the foremost duty of the blood bank to ensure timely communication of any positive result.
Make it easy and convenient: While all of us – even when it is for our own work – expect people to be punctual and prompt. Need of sensitivity towards a donor’s time is extremely important. Habitual late-coming and tendency to leave-early from blood donation drives is a major put-off. Any blood bank which invites people for in-house donation must understand that the donor looses time off his work. Making the donor wait for hours to donate blood ensures that they never want to come again!
Cordial Environment: Planning blood bank’s working timing for blood collection to align with holidays and late evenings/early mornings enables donors to enthusiastically participate. Whatever be the difficulty for the blood banking staff - nobody expects to be spoken to rudely and be treated badly. When harsh treatment is meted out to the donor, it has strong repercussions on VBD as a whole. Staff needs to be sensitive towards the donors and extend a warm welcoming environment for them to come and donate. The setup of the blood bank/camp should be clean, hygienic and inviting. Remember the donors are not unwell! They are there to help! Blood collection room should be furnished to create positive ambiance.
Ensuring the feel good factor
All the donor will carry back is a positive feeling of having helped save a life!
Timely acknowledgement: The juice, biscuit and the certificate are symbolic – they should be handed over with courtesy and grace. Smiling faces, gentle behaviour and supporting staff ensure that the donor goes out with a pleasant experience to be shared with one and all. Words of acknowledgment of gratitude, respect, or admiration should be shared with each donor by the staff at the end of each donation.
While symbolic recognition and encouragement of donors is necessary, Sankalp India Foundation firmly believes that real tribute to voluntary blood donation lies in relentless commitment to safeguard and work towards ensuring that the donor's intent is satisfied, the expectation is fulfilled and each donor goes back after donating blood feeling very good.
Let us all resolve to pay real tribute to voluntary blood donors.