Social Impact · Service Notes
Organising Blood Donation Camps and a Blood Donor Network
India now collects roughly the blood it needs each year, yet families still struggle to find the right group at the right time. That gap is where volunteer networks matter.
Blood donation is where much of our social work began, and it is still the work I find most direct. Someone needs blood, someone else gives it, and a life is helped. By our count, our blood donation work has reached more than 10,000 people over the years.
The national picture
India has made real progress. The government told Parliament in 2025 that the country collected 1,46,01,147 units of blood in 2024-25, more than the estimated annual requirement of 14.6 million units. That was 15% more than in 2023. Around 70% of donations are voluntary. The rest still come from family members or friends donating for a particular patient.
So why do families still struggle? In my experience the problem is usually not the national total. It is timing, location and blood group. A total collected nationally does not help a family in a district town at 11 at night that needs a rare group. Blood components also have limited shelf lives, so supply has to be steady, not seasonal.
What our blood work looks like
We work with licensed blood centres. In India, blood centres are regulated and licensed. Volunteers do not collect or store blood themselves. Our role has been to:
- Organise donors. We maintain willing donors across groups and areas, so that when a request comes we can find someone quickly.
- Support camps. We recruit donors, handle logistics and partner with a blood centre, which runs the medical side. Camps can be registered with a blood centre through the government's e-RaktKosh portal.
- Respond to emergencies. We match a specific request to a willing donor who is eligible to give.
Lessons from running camps
- Recruit before the day. A camp's numbers are decided in the week before it, not on the morning.
- Respect eligibility. NBTC guidelines say donors should be 18 to 65, weigh at least 45 kg and have haemoglobin of at least 12.5 g/dL. Men must wait 90 days between donations and women 120. Turning away an ineligible donor kindly is part of doing this properly.
- Make first-timers comfortable. Fear of needles and myths about weakness keep many people away. A calm explanation and a friend beside them helps.
- Follow up. A thank-you message and a reminder when someone is eligible again turns a one-time donor into a regular one.
- Spread camps through the year. Supply dips during holidays and exam seasons. Steady donation matters more than one large camp.
Why it matters
Voluntary donation is safer and more reliable than last-minute replacement donation, and every regular donor makes the system stronger. If you are eligible, find a licensed blood centre near you and give. If you can organise others, even better.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who can donate blood in India?
- Under NBTC guidelines, whole-blood donors should be 18 to 65 years old, weigh at least 45 kg and have haemoglobin of at least 12.5 g/dL. Men can donate every 90 days and women every 120 days.
- How much blood does India collect?
- The government told Parliament that India collected 1,46,01,147 units in 2024-25, above the estimated annual requirement of 14.6 million units. About 70% of donations are voluntary.
- How do you organise a blood donation camp?
- Partner with a licensed blood centre, register the camp (for example through e-RaktKosh), recruit and screen donors in advance, and follow up after the camp.