Walking into a blood donation centre may seem like a small act of kindness, but behind every unit of blood collected is a system that prioritises not only supply, but safety.

While public campaigns often focus on increasing donations, what is less often discussed is this: not everyone is eligible to give and sometimes, lifestyle choices, however casual, can lead to permanent deferrals.

“The first and most important point to emphasise is that blood donation operates on a two-way responsibility.

“While it is crucial to encourage people to come forward, it is equally vital that the donors themselves are healthy,” SJMC Consultant Haematologist, Dr Ng Soo Chin told Sinar Daily.

SJMC Consultant Haematologist, Dr Ng Soo Chin.

And in the eyes of healthcare professionals, “healthy” is not just about looking and feeling well, it also means being free of risky behaviours that might silently endanger recipients.

Among the strictest disqualifiers for blood donation are high-risk behaviours, particularly involving recreational drug use. This includes marijuana, injected drugs or experimentation with unknown substances.

“Individuals with high-risk behaviours such as consuming marijuana or experimenting with other drugs, fall into a category where the risk of undetectable infections like HIV cannot be completely ruled out.

“Even with state-of-the-art screening technology that reduces the HIV ‘window period’ to less than a week, there remains a small chance of missing an early infection.

“Therefore, for safety reasons, individuals with such drug use history may be deferred, especially if the drug was injected intravenously, which would disqualify them from donating for life,” Dr Ng explained.

What matters most, he added, is honesty during the pre-donation interview. The reliability of a donor’s history during pre-donation interviews is one of the most crucial factors in maintaining a safe blood supply.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Canva

Interestingly, not all lifestyle choices automatically disqualify someone. Smoking and vaping, for instance, do not necessarily prevent a person from donating, provided they have stopped at least a week prior.

“Smoking or vaping are generally considered acceptable if discontinued at least a week before donating. As for alcohol? Moderation is key.

“Moderate alcohol consumption is also permissible, but donors are encouraged to wait at least 24 hours before donating to ensure safety,” he added.

Today, SJMC remains one of the few private hospitals still licensed to operate its own in-house blood bank.

“Many hospital-based blood banks have been phased out due to stringent standards imposed by the National Blood Transfusion Centre.

“Regular inspections are conducted and institutions that fail to meet the required benchmarks risk having their licence withdrawn. Fortunately, we have maintained our compliance and continue to serve the public.

“The scope of operations has expanded considerably. We are not just looking to fill bags, we are ensuring every unit of blood is as safe as it is life-saving,” he added.

And while donors are often motivated by altruism, Dr Ng reminds us that eligibility is not about judgement, it is about protection.

“This is a life-or-death matter. It is our duty to ensure the safety of every patient who receives a transfusion,” he stressed.