Dr Asangba Tzudir
It is said that every two seconds, someone needs blood, and while blood cannot be manufactured the need for it is only growing more by the day. Blood has a very limited shelf life, and therefore its supply must be constantly replenished by generous blood donors.
Even in Nagaland, hardly a day passes by without coming across someone appealing for donating blood, and over the years, such daily appeals and also blood donation camps has had a tremendous impact that more blood donors are coming forward to donate.
Nothing can be nobler than saving another person’s life, and especially when times are very critical and challenging and the criticality of the situation is such that life is reduced to a very simple equation of whether blood is available or not. The need for blood, and which is life, is at the mercy of blood donors.
While it is critical to have blood donors, there is also a fear psychosis that prevents people from coming forward to donate. Trypanophobia is the term associated with fear of needles or blood. It is a common phenomenon among millions of people, and especially for those who are scared of needles or even a simple blood test will be a nightmare.
However, the fear also goes beyond Trypanophobia. There are instances where one’s health related treatment may be postponed, or certain medications having to wait because of blood donation. Also, the simple fact that one cannot donate again in a short span in order to give time for recovery will also discourage many from donating blood. Yet, also with the growing prevalence of HIV positive cases, those not tested and have certain reservations about the health status may also prevent them from donating blood. There is only one solution to this, and it is to get oneself tested.
Coming back to the nobility of donating blood and saving a life, it is not simply about donating during blood donation camps or donating in times of emergencies because of the demands of the situation. However, there’s more to donating blood and which greatly exemplifies the nobility of donating blood. Certain perspectives can be drawn from the Bible. That, we have been bought and paid by Christ and because of which our body and whole of it is not ours. And therefore what we think to be ours, even the blood is not ours. It has been freely given by God, so do we also give, donate freely to those in need. This makes blood donation even nobler, because you donate not for anything else but because it has been freely given, a life given for free. This is a motivating force to donate and save a life. As such, Blood is Life and a sincere ‘Thank You’ to all the Blood donors.
Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com
