In honour of World Blood Donor Day, a new centre on Blood Donations on Facebook was launched where people in Bangladesh, Brazil, India and Pakistan can find opportunities to donate nearby, said a statement.
People who visit Blood Donations on Facebook can also sign up to be a blood donor to get notified directly when there is a need for blood nearby. To date, more than 10 million people have signed up and thousands of donations have been facilitated through Facebook.
In many countries, including Bangladesh, blood donations are typically at their lowest during May and June. To help raise awareness of the shortage and the need for donations, Facebook will be running a campaign through the month of June to encourage people to donate blood, share stories of people who have saved lives using these features, and educate people about the process of donating blood.
Our blood banks thus face an urgent need to collect blood through repeat donations from our regular donors and also by recruiting (and retaining) more new donors to ensure replenishment of blood stocks from a low-risk population to maintain the smooth functioning of the system.
The government's Safe Blood Transfusion Programme welcomes Blood Donations through Facebook which make it easier for people to support their local blood donation events and respond to requests for blood donations. Remember your one blood donation can help save the lives of three different patients.”
Nowsat Ahamed, an end beneficial of Facebook Blood Donations, said “My younger brother was in hospital and we needed to find blood donations quickly. I called many of my friends but I knew I needed to connect with more people faster, so I thought of Facebook. After posting my brothers blood type and details on where to donate, we found a donor within ten minutes!. Blood Donations on Facebook helped us through a challenging time and now my brother is well. Blood donations on Facebook helped my brother get well and made a difference to our lives.”
