Blood Donation @ Dhoby Gaut MRT Station

I always wanted to donate blood but I was held back by the fear of blood drawing from my veins and the pain from the insertion of the huge straw in my arm. Till the day my mom was hospitalised and had blood transfusion from 3 packets of blood. Whoever the kind souls were, I sincerely appreciate your kind gestures of donating those 3 packets of blood.

I decided to take the plunge and contribute back (to the blood bank). So I bravely made my first step into HSA (Health Science Authority) near SGH (Singapore General Hospital) to make my first blood donation. Since then, I have donated blood successfully for 4 times. There were times when I was rejected due to low blood count and thus, I was unable to hit my target of minimum 3 blood donations in a year. A normal person can only donate blood after a 3-months window.

This year, I wanted to end the year more meaningfully and so, I made a trip to the blood donation centre at Dhoby Gaut MRT station. This has got to be the most convenient blood centre amongst all the blood centres (or banks) available as it was located within a central MRT station. For the benefit of those who want to contribute back to society and yet fear the pain or are unsure of what to expect during a blood donation, I hope the following will help to clarify the procedures better.

Firstly, all blood donors will have to complete a survey form. This also applies to those who have already donated before as the information may be outdated. Subsequently, you will receive a queue number to await your turn to see the doctor. The doctor will go through all the questions in the form through an interview and ensure that you are of healthy weight.

Once you have seen the doctor, you will proceed to the next station to check your blood count. The nurse will use a small device to prick your middle finger and draw blood sample. This process is not painful. (In fact, the ENTIRE blood donation process is not painful at all) The nurse will inform you if you have sufficient blood count and are able to proceed with blood donation.

If you are able to donate blood, you will then proceed to the blood donation area where you need to lie on a bed and stay relaxed. Another nurse will inject anaesthesia into the arm which the blood will be drawn prior to the insertion of the thick needle (for drawing blood). After waiting for 2-3mins, the nurse will begin the blood donation by inserting the thick needle into your arm. Do not panic as this is entirely done without any pain due to the anaesthesia! The process will be complete in about 15mins after about 440ml of blood is drawn into a packet.

After the blood donation stops, the nurse will bandage your arm with a bandage color of your choice. You will have to leave the bandage on for the next 2 hours and not carry heavy things for the next 24 hours to prevent bruising. You will also receive a packet of iron pills and an appointment card with the next date you can donate blood. And it's all over! As simple as that! For those who are curious how the scar from the blood donation looks like, please refer to the picture below. It's not scary at all, looks just like an insect bite. 

I hope this post dispels all myths about blood donation on how scary and painful it is. Please do your part and donate blood if you can!!!