One popular old wives tale/remedy which I’ve never quite understood is the one where people start to consume malt drinks in large quantities whenever they suspect or confirm that they may be low on blood. I’ve had to check the constituents of the average malt drink against the components of blood that I know of and I’ve still not found any similarities, so something is definitely off. As far as I know, the one substance that can serve as a replacement for blood is…Blood of course.
Now, as much as no one ever prays for bad things to happen, the fact is that everyday around the country, people get in accidents and other emergency health conditions in which blood is an absolute necessity. For people who simply have symptoms of anemia, it is quite alright to help build up their blood levels (not with “malt” of course) by giving iron tablets and “Blood tonic” but for someone who has just been involved in a major car accident with organ damage or for a baby with jaundice who needs an exchange blood transfusion urgently in order to prevent permanent brain damage, the only thing that can save their lives is blood.
If you’re on active on (Nigerian) social media, you may occasionally see a tweet about a person calling for a blood donation for a relative who is at a hospital and needs blood urgently. This is mostly because our blood banks hardly ever have blood in them as Nigerians are largely reluctant to donate blood. Part of this may be as a result of lack of education and poor understanding or just plain ignorance and lack of concern.
In a bid to keep the blood banks running, the government health facilities have had to employ some very unusual methods which may seem harsh but unfortunately are very necessary. For example you may be shocked to hear that patients may be detained in hospital after treatment if they had a blood transfusion until their relatives are able to replace the blood that was used for their treatment. In private facilities it’s a little different as patients are made to buy blood if there is any need for them to be transfused with blood. Now neither of these practices is ideal and if they are to be discontinued in the near future, then more Nigerians have to voluntarily give blood.
The truth is there isn’t much to fear when it comes to donating blood. The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in his/her body and during donation only 1 pint is taken. Also the process is usually quite simple. First there is a registration process, and then a medical history and mini physical examination may be performed.
Donors are advised to have had a meal shortly before donating blood ( so that nobody will come and faint) Each donor is usually checked to make sure their blood level is ideal to even donate in the first place. So a test called the Packed Cell Volume (PCV) is usually done first and anyone with a low PCV is not allowed to donate. Also women who are on their period are advised not to donate at that time as they are actively losing blood and may become anemic.
There may also be a viral screen for HIV and/or hepatitis but this is not always the case. However after collection all blood must be screened to prevent disease transmission via blood transfusion. After a donor is certified fit to donate then they are made comfortable on a couch/bed, a tourniquet is tied around the arm, a sterile needle is inserted into a large vein (this part does hurt a little sha) usually around the elbow and then the donor just lies back while the bag fills with blood. This takes about 10-15 minutes and then if it’s a nice posh donation centre you may get free refreshments but if you’re at a government facility there will surely be a porter around to let you know that there’s malt for sale.
In Lagos government health facilities, after donation, donors are usually given a card which allows them access to one pint of blood in case of any emergency. This card can also be given by the donor to anyone he/she pleases and they will not have to suffer the indignity of being detained in the hospital if they’re ever transfused in an emergency situation.
World Blood Donor day this year was on the 14th of June 2016 and the theme for this year is “Blood connects us all”. We all have blood running through our veins. This blood is responsible for supplying oxygen and other nutrients to all parts of the body and is therefore essential. Due to several different conditions, some people may not be fortunate enough to have enough blood in their bodies for it to function as it should. If you are healthy enough and can donate one pint of blood every six months, you will most likely help save a life or two.
