World Blood Donor day is held annually on 14th June which is the birthday of Karl Landsteiner (14.6.1868) who created the ABO blood group system which still ensures the safety of blood transfusions today.  

Although there are approximately 92 million blood donations a year world-wide having enough safe blood is still a scarce commodity. Today is a day to raise awareness of the problem and there will be many events taking place around the world today.

Perhaps make it your goal today to find your local blood donation office and arrange to become a regular blood donor.

Note to Blood Donation Service:

In my experience of blood donating the service could make it easier for working people to donate. I know when I was working in London they were only open between 10am-noon and 2pm-4pm which did not make it easy for people to go before or after work or in their lunch hour. Just last month a friend with a particularly rare blood group had to lose a mornings work to donate at a time that suited them rather than herself.

If the blood donation service needs more blood then please make it easier for people to donate. Could there not be a donating facility in hospitals. I have lost track of the times I have unfortunately been visiting family or friends in hospital and I could easily have stopped to donate. Just as I would have done on my way to or home from work. Unfortunately, bosses don’t look too favourably on paying staff to take time off to donate.