I’ve just moved to the UAE and I used to regularly give blood back in my home country. Are there places in Abu Dhabi where I can also donate blood?
Good on you. More people should donate blood, because medical services are always short on supplies – especially of rare types such as AB negative and O negative. Blood transfusions are vital in keeping people alive after they’ve suffered trauma due to accidents or burns, or when they’re undergoing heart surgery or organ transplants. In fact, it’s estimated that for each unit of blood (450ml) someone donates they are saving an average of three lives. This is rewarding to know, considering that the whole process, including screening, will take no more than an hour. And as Abu Dhabi’s 20 or so hospitals have an average daily need of 150 units of blood, keeping stocks replenished is vitally important.
Across Abu Dhabi, there are a handful of places where you can donate some of the red stuff. The Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, next to Khalidiyah Mall, is one of them. It’s open from 7.30am-8.30pm on weekdays, 7.30am-1pm on Saturdays and is closed on Fridays. You need to call ahead (02 819 1700) to make an appointment. The hospital also has a mobile blood bank that can arrange for nurses to come to your workplace for a mass donation session.
But make sure you fit the criteria before you go along to donate. You must be aged between 18 and 60, not weigh less than 50kg and have a valid residency visa. Also, you must not have donated blood in the past 90 days. Groups who are barred from donating blood include those with hepatitis B or C, HIV sufferers and diabetics. Your request to donate will be deferred if you’ve had dental work done in the past five weeks, are on antibiotics, have smoked or consumed alcohol in the past 72 hours, have had a tattoo or piercing in the past year, or if you are pregnant.
And remember, before you go for your blood letting, drink plenty of fluids, eat a proper, nutritious meal, and have a good night’s sleep.
So what are you waiting for? Keep going long enough and you might even manage to beat Philip Baird of Australia, who holds the world record for the most blood donations. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, he has donated 104 litres – or 21 times the amount of blood an average person has in their body – over 55 years of service.
