* Regular blood donation helps especially males in loosing iron on regular basis. It helps in reducing the chance of heart attack to one third.
* One can diet or remain fit by donating blood regularly. One pint of blood (450 ml) when donated burns 650 calories in donor’s body.
* A donor gets a mini blood test done before donating blood. This includes Hematocrit i.e. HB level test, Blood pressure is measured, body weight is checked.
* After the blood is collected it is tested for 5 major diseases. Those are Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, Syphilis and malaria. Donor is immediately informed if any of these test found to be positive.

Every year India requires 40 million units of 250cc blood out of which only a meagre 500,000 of blood units are available.

* An aspect of blood donation that goes unnoticed and unacknowledged is, blood transfusion, in extending the life span of children with transfusion dependent blood disorders like Thalassemia, Sickle Cell Anemia and marrow failure syndromes.
* Most people think donated blood is used to help people who suffer traumatic incidents, such as accidents or burns, or in surgery. However, this forms only about 20% of the total need.
o 34% red cells: For cancer and blood diseases
o 19% red cells: Other forms of anaemia
o 18% red cells: Surgical patients including open heart surgery
o 14% red cells: Other medical problems including heart, stomach and kidney disease
o 10% red cells: Orthopaedic patients
o 4% red cells: Obstetrics
o 2% red cells: Trauma, including road accidents.
Sources: http://www.indiabloodbank.com/whydonateblood.aspx http://sankalpindia.net