It’s National Blood Donors Month! Here are some info you may need before you donate

by Ralph Hernandez / July 5, 2023

Did you know? Regularly donating blood is linked to lower blood pressure and a lower risk for heart attacks, according to an article from Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

“If your hemoglobin is too high, blood donation helps to lower the viscosity of the blood, which has been associated with the formation of blood clots, heart attacks, and stroke,” Dr. Robert DeSimone, MD, director of transfusion medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center told Columbia.

In the Philippines, July has been declared National Blood Donors Month since then-President Fidel V. Ramos signed Proclamation No. 1021 in 1997. It recognized blood donation as a “humanitarian act that has saved thousands of human lives” and called on Filipinos to “be inspired to emulate the men and women in our country who freely and voluntarily give part of themselves to help those in need of blood and its components.”

Donating blood? Here are some FAQs from the Philippine Red Cross:

• How often can a person donate?

A healthy individual may donate every three months.

• Will donating blood make a person weak?

No, it will not make you weak. Donating 450cc will not cause any ill effects or weakness. The human body has the capacity to compensate with the new fluid volume. Further, the bone marrow is stimulated to produce new blood cells which in turn makes the blood forming organs function more effectively.

• Can a person who has a tattoo or body piercing still donate blood?

If the tattooing procedure or the piercing was done a year ago, he/she may donate. This is also applicable to acupuncture, and other procedures involving needles.

• How long will it take to donate blood?

The whole process of blood donation, from the registration up to the recovery, will only take an average of 30 minutes.

The blood extraction will take about 5-10 minutes. The blood volume will start replenishing within 24 hours. Theoretically, by the end of the month, the body will have the blood status before the blood donation.

The Philippine Red Cross has several blood banks across the nation. See full list here. But if you’re looking to donate as early as, say Saturday (July 8) maybe, you may drop by its headquarters in Mandaluyong starting at 8 am.

The Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) or PMCC (4th Watch), in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, is inviting Filipinos to its nationwide bloodletting activity. Aside from the Philippine Red Cross main office in Mandaluyong, the church is also rolling out several bloodletting activities across 30 locations nationwide.

Apostle Arsenio T. Ferriol, the church’s chief executive minister, along with Bishop Jonathan Ferriol, deputy executive minister, will be leading the launch with Philippine Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon expected to be in attendance.

The bloodletting activity is part of the church’s 50th anniversary celebration, which will also include other medical missions for underserved communities across the Philippines. “By partnering with local organizations, community leaders, and residents, we can create a powerful network of support that addresses the diverse needs of our community,” Bishop Ferriol said.

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