Donate Blood at a Trusted Blood Bank in Karachi

Every donor undergoes a confidential health assessment before donation to ensure the safety of both the donor and the recipient. Any healthy individual who meets the following basic criteria can donate blood.

• Age: 18 to 60 years (as per SBTA guidelines)
• Weight: At least 50 kg
• Hemoglobin: ≥ 12.5 g/dL
• Last donation: At least 3 months ago
• No acute illness

Yes. Healthy women between the ages of 18–60 can donate. Except if they are:

• Pregnant or breastfeeding (defer until at least 6–9 months post-delivery and after cessation of breastfeeding)
• Menstruating (temporary deferral recommended)
• Someone with a haemoglobin level below threshold of 12.5 g/dL

Yes, in most cases. Individuals with diabetes can safely donate blood if their blood sugar levels are in control and the patient is not on high insulin dose, on the day of donation. Please consult a specialist for more information.

We require all blood groups to meet the need of patients. However, Negative blood groups (O Negative (O−), A Negative (A−), B Negative (B−), and AB Negative (AB−)) are particularly high in demand because they are not very common and are required in most emergency cases.

Type O-negative (O-) / PRBC is known as the universal blood donor, making the type essential at every emergency room.

Type AB-positive (AB+) / PRBC is the universal red blood cell recipient that can accept blood from any of the eight main blood types (A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+, and O-).

You'll feel a quick pinch when the needle goes in, like a small injection. After that, most people feel nothing at all for the 8–10 minutes of the draw. Only around 1–2% of donors feel briefly lightheaded. It is better to wait for 10-15 minutes before leaving and enjoy a juice pack.

The complete donation process usually takes 30–45 minutes, which includes registration, health screening, blood collection, and refreshments. The blood collection itself takes approximately 8–15 minutes.

You do not need to follow any special preparation before donating blood. You can visit the LNH blood bank for blood donation and resume your normal daily activities afterwards. However, please keep the following in mind:

• Avoid aspirin or aspirin-containing medication for at least 72 hours if donating platelets
• Avoid smoking for at least 2 hours before donation
• Please share your complete medical history with the expert before donation
• Follow specific instructions by our staff.

After donating blood:

• Rest for 10–15 minutes in the Blood Bank
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Take the refreshments provided.
• Avoid strenuous exercise or heavy lifting for the remainder of the day.
• If you feel dizzy/weak while sitting or standing, lie down and follow instructions by our staff

Recovery varies from person to person. Fluid volume is restored within a few hours while red blood cells recovery takes few days.

This depends mainly on two factors:

• Whole Blood: You can donate every 3 months (12 weeks), up to 4 times a year.
• Platelets (apheresis): You can donate every 48 hours, with a maximum of 24 donations per year.

Donating blood comes with several benefits for the donor as well. Such as:

• The feeling of genuinely helping others lifts the mood, offers a sense of purpose and leads to lower stress and better cardiac and mental health
• Every donation at our Blood Bank offers you free health checks such as blood pressure, pulse, and temperature, and a blood test to detect any infections.
• It is a natural refresh for the body. The body makes fresh blood after donation, produces new blood cells to replace the old ones.

We perform blood grouping 24 hours a day. You can collect your blood group card any time 24 hours after blood group test or donation. This is important for you and your family.

Yes. It is advisable to donate blood after Iftar. Many healthy individuals prefer to donate blood during Ramadan. The right time for donating blood in Ramadan is 2-3 hours after Iftar till sahur.

Our laboratory tests every donated blood unit for following:

• Blood group (ABO and Rh)
• Hepatitis B (HBsAg)
• Hepatitis C (anti-HCV)
• HIV 1 & 2
• Syphilis
• Malaria

In addition, we perform NAT (Nucleic Acid Testing) — a highly sensitive molecular test that detects viral genetic material during the early "window period" before antibodies appear. This significantly reduces the risk of transfusion-transmitted infection. Any unit that tests reactive is safely discarded.

Yes. If your donation tests reactive for any transmissible infection, our team will privately inform you and guide you on appropriate follow-up care. Yet another additional health benefit of regular voluntary donation.

Our Blood Bank provides round-the-clock support during dengue outbreaks. We have blood products available, particularly platelets. We also have the facility to get single-donor platelets (SDP) for critical cases, particularly when a patient has a low platelet count in Dengue during Dengue season.

Liaquat National Hospital blood bank is a functional 24-hour blood bank in Karachi. If you are looking for reliable blood donation services in Pakistan, especially in Karachi, visit Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi or get information on the numbers mentioned below.