Such huge benefits so easily given

Jun 17 2010 Harrow Observer

WANT to be a lifesaver in exchange for an hour or so of your time every three months, a cup of tea and a biscuit?

Ninety-six per cent of the people in Britain rely on the other four per cent to supply all the blood and its derivatives needed to meet hospital demand.

In some areas, stocks are so low that there is a weekly worry whether there is enough to keep vulnerable patients alive.

Considering how straightforward it is to give blood - and how quickly the healthy body recovers - it is a shame not more people are unselfishly signed up to spread the burden.

Part of the problem is helping people overcome their apprehension of the whole procedure and the commitment. There is also the matter of persuading those who have moral or religious objections, whether strictly warranted or not, that pragmatism and practicality must rule here, otherwise we could have a situation where the nation stands back and lets people suffer needlessly, such as 13-year-old Devaanshi Mehta.

It is not just restricted to blood as bone marrow donors, in which the ethnicity of the donor is a crucial factor, are in short supply too.

This is an example of where a good turn can make a huge difference to someone, and that person may one day be your mother, father, child or grandparent.

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