Phuket Question | The Phuket News

Question I recently went to give blood for a man who was in dire need and was turned away. I heard other people turned up at the Phuket Regional Blood Center only minutes too late and were also turned away. This was in response to an urgent call for blood donations. I have many people over the years complain about all the different reasons given for being turned away from making blood dnaotions. Can someone please let us know what all the requirements for making a blood donation are, and where and when blood donatins can be made. – Chuck, Chalong Answer To ensure the the safety of blood donations for both donors and recipients, all volunteer blood donors must be evaluated to determine their eligibility to give blood. In accordance to the requirements laid out by the Thailand red Cross, blood donors must: 1) Weigh 45kg or more, be in good general health and fit to donate blood 2) Must be 17 to 70 years of age. Donors who are 17 years old must have parental consent and the first-time donors must not be more than 55 years old. 3) If you are over 55 years old and never given blood before, you do not qualify. 4) Foreigners making donations must have been living in the Kingdom for at least the past six months before they can donate blood. 5) Donors 60-65 years old must have been donating blood regularly until you reached age 60 can donate blood only three times a year, not more than every four months must have a Complete Blood Count (CBC) conducted every time before you donate blood must have Serum Ferritin (SF) and Blood Chemistry (BC) checks done every year before donating blood must have a doctor or registered nurse determine and record the result of SF, haemoglobin (Hb) and Hematocrit tests and blood pressure and approve you making a blood donation 6) Donors 65-70 years old: must have been donating blood regularly while you were 60-65 years old can donate blood only twice a year, or every six months must have CBC checked every time before donating blood must have BC, SF, and EKG checked once a year before donating blood must have medical certificate by your doctor or a doctor from the blood donation centre approving you to donate blood 7) Donors must have enough rest, at least six hours sleep, the night before donating blood 8) No diarrhoea or stomach problems within the past seven days, or have a cold or fever 9) Pregnant women, new mothers, mothers who are still breast feeding and women who had a miscarriage in the past six months are all not allowed to give blood. 10) Donors weight must be stable or normal, with no dramatic changes within the past three months without any explanation. 11) People who have taken aspirin, muscle-relaxant medication or painkillers within the past three days will not be allowed to give blood. Likewise, people who have taken any anti-infection medication (such as antibiotics) within the past seven days will not be allowed to give blood. 12) Donors must not have asthma, any skin infections, tuberculosis (TB) or any allergies. 13) Donors must not have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease, cancer, thyroid problems, haemophilia or other diseases or medical conditions. 14) If have had any dental work done, such as tooth extraction, filling, root-canal treatment, plague removal, you must wait at least three days before donating blood. 15) If you had a major surgery, you must wait at least six months. If you have had minor surgery, you must wait one month before donating blood. 16) You or your partner must not have “sexual deviation”. 17) You must have no history of drug use or have been clear for at least three years and maintain good health. 18) For ear piercings and body tattoos, you must wait at least one year before donating blood. 19) If you received a blood donation from others, you must wait one year before donating blood. 20) If you had malaria, you must wait three years before giving blood. If you visited a country that has malaria, you must wait at least one year before donating blood. 21) Donors must not have been injected with a vaccine within 14 days of giving blood. If you are injected with a serum, you must wait one year before giving blood. 22) Donors must eat at least one hour before donating blood but avoid eating high-fat food such as Khow Man Kai, Khow Kha Moo, any deep-fried food, dessert or curry made from coconut milk. At the time of making a donation, your blood and blood pressure will be tested. Please answer all questions asked by blood-donation staff. Do not hide any health issues from them. Drink plenty of water to help with your recovery. Do not drink alcohol for at least 24 hours before donating blood and do not smoke any cigarettes at least an hour before and after giving blood. After you make a donation, during your next visit you will be informed of your blood type and of any diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis and so on, that we have discovered while conducting tests on your blood. When testing blood, we specifically check for: ABO blood group type, blood Rhesus type, antibodies, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. The Phuket Regional Blood Centre is located at 38/193 Rattanakosin 200 Pi Rd in Talad Neua, Mueang Phuket. The centre is open : Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 8:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday, Thursday – 8:30am to 8pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays – 9am to 3pm For more information call the PRBC at 076-251178. – Wathu Ohaj, PR and blood donation organizer Phuket Regional Blood Centre The Vachira Phuket Blood Bank also receives blood donations. The blood bank is located on the 4th floor of Vachira Phuket Hospital, at 53 Yaowarat Rd, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket. Donations can be made at Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8:30am to 3pm. For more information, call 076-237237. Blood donations in Phuket are accepted only at the PRBC and at Vachira Blood Bank, during the hours given. Special arrangements may be made in case of emergencies, but this is done only at the direct request of hospital where the patient is receiving treatement. – Ampai Saengwichitr, Medical Technician, Vachira Phuket Blood Bank, Vachira Phuket Hospital.