HKRCBTS - Blood Donation

If you are aged 16 - 65, weighing over 41 kgs (around 90 pounds) and healthy, you are eligible to be a blood donor.
Male donors 18 or above can give blood every 3 months whereas females can donate every 4 months.
If you are aged 16 - 17, you can donate every 6 months, but need to have your parent's signature on the consent form.

The Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service is committed to providing safe blood and blood products to those in need. To protect your health as a blood donor and also the safety of recipients of blood, it is vital that every person's suitability to donate is checked on each occasion by filling in the Blood Donation Registration Form PDF Format

(For reference only). If you would like to know more about the Health History Enquiry in Blood Donation, please click here.

The design of Blood Dondation Registration Form is in accordance of international practices. The questions on the Blood Donation Registration Form cover your present and past health (including medication and other forms of medical treatment) to ensure that you are fit to be a blood donor. It is of vital importance that you provide a truthful reply to each of the questions. Information disclosed by you will be kept strictly confidential. The BTS regrets to have to defer people who cannot meet the requirement for blood donation.

Besides, as a precaution to prevent transmission of malaria through blood transfusion, please refer to pamphlet PDF Format

for details.

Also, questions about your life style will be asked as some sexually transmitted diseases can also affect blood safety. Any person who is at risk of such diseases as a result of engaging in unsafe sex or has multiple sex partners should not give blood.

If you are uncertain about the answers to any questions, please consult our staff on duty.

DO NOT give blood if you suspect your blood carries a potential risk of transmitting an infection to a patient who may receive your blood.

DO NOT give blood for the purpose of blood testing. This is ineffective, as one may be infected and still have a negative blood result.

Your computer must have Acrobat Reader installed in order to read the PDF format files. If you have not installed it, please download it here

Blood is a mixture of Red Cells, White Cells, Platelets and Plasma. The blood you donate contains all the blood components and it is called "whole blood". In Hong Kong, most of the whole blood collected will be separated into different blood components so as to benefit more patients. Nowadays, a donor can also choose to donate plasma, platelet or both by a procedure called "Apheresis" with the help of a blood cell separator. The separator automatically removes the required components from the donor's blood and returns the rest to the donor via the same venepuncture.

The opening hours of which are:

Mon, Tue, Thur and Fri	9:30am - 4:00pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 1:00pm
Saturday	9:00am - 4:30pm

If you like to join the apheresis donation programme, please call 2710 1203 to make an appointment to see our doctor.

Blood collected from donors must be tested for infectious diseases markers in our laboratories. This is to ensure that only safe blood is used for transfusion therapy. Donors whose blood show positive findings of infectious diseases are notified individually, and medical counselling provided. All findings and information obtained are kept in strict confidence.
Transfusion transmitted infectious diseases currently screened include:

1. Can a person become infected with AIDS from giving blood?
No, as all equipment used in connection in blood donation is sterilized and is disposed of once used.

2. Why should I give blood if so many people have already given blood ?
Since blood can only be stored for a limited period before use, regular blood donation ensures patients can get blood transfusions whenever needed.

3. If I am thin, may I give blood?
Yes, provided you are 16-65 years of age, weigh 41kgs or more.

4. Is giving blood painful?
Not really. However, donors may feel a little discomfort during venesection.

5. If I am not feeling well or have taken some medicine, may I give blood?
Persons on regular medication will usually not be suitable to give blood. In case of doubt, please consult with staff of the Blood Transfusion Service.

6. May I give blood in order to test if I am suffering from any transmissible disease such as AIDS?
No one should give blood for the sake of a blood test. During the earliest stage of infection, infectious disease(including AIDS), may not show up in screening test. If you want to ascertain whether you are infected with the AIDS, please call the Department of Health (2780 2211) for the free counselling and blood test.

7. Would the blood given be tested?
All blood collected by the Blood Transfusion Service is fully screened for transfusion transmissible infectious diseases (including Hepatitis B surface antigen, Hepatitis C antibodies, HIV antibodies, HTLV-1 antibodies and Syphilis) and only when the Blood Transfusion Service is fully satisfied that the blood is completely safe for use will it be issued to hospitals.

9. What is proportion of the various blood groups in the general population of Hong Kong?
According to BTS statistics, 26% of local Chinese have type "A" blood, 27% have type "B" blood, 40% have type "O" blood and 7% have "AB" blood. The proportion of Rhesus positive and negative are 99.7% and 0.3% respectively.

10. Can blood be substituted?
There is no substitute for blood. Although individual products like plasma and red cells can be artifically produced, substitute of blood has not been developed yet.

11. Shall I gain weight after giving blood?
There is no relation between giving blood and gaining or losing weight.

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