Why blood donations remain irreplaceable despite advances in science

Published 14 June 2026 · health

A volunteer donates blood during the World Blood Donor Day, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. (PTI Photo) WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY 2026 Where transfusion is non-negotiable

A volunteer donates blood during the World Blood Donor Day, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. (PTI Photo) WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY 2026 Where transfusion is non-negotiable WHEN TRANSFUSION IS THE ONLY OPTION Finding the right blood Transfusion reaction in a case with the rare Bombay blood group BLOOD DONATION IN INDIA Status of blood donation in India Theme of World Blood Donor Day, 2026 THE MAN BEHIND THE DAY Can blood be created in a laboratory for transfusion? The answer may eventually be yes, but not yet.In November 2022, scientists in the United Kingdom carried out the world's first transfusion of lab-grown blood as part of a clinical trial. While the experiment showed promise, the technology remains in the research stage.For now, patients who require transfusions remain entirely dependent on donated blood, most of it given voluntarily.Simply put, patients in these categories cannot survive without transfusions and face life-threatening consequences if blood is unavailable.In such cases, medicines cannot substitute for blood transfusions.Thalassaemia major, severe aplastic anaemia, sickle cell disease, bone marrow failure syndromes, and in patients undergoing intensive treatment for leukaemia and stem cell transplantation, are conditions where blood transfusions are the primary form of treatment.“In these conditions, the body is either unable to produce adequate healthy blood cells or destroys them prematurely,” says Dr Geetika Jassal, Medical Spokesperson, Cryoviva Life Sciences.To put it simply, the patient cannot do without the blood without facing life-threatening consequences. Medicines cannot act as an alternative to the blood transfusion in such conditions.“Medications alone cannot immediately replace deficient red blood cells or platelets, nor can they restore oxygen-carrying capacity or prevent serious bleeding complications,” says Dr Jassal. “Timely and regular blood transfusions help maintain adequate tissue oxygenation, reduce disease-related complications, support ongoing treatment, and in some cases serve as a bridge to curative therapies such as stem cell transplantation.

”Tapas Sengupta, former president of the Thalassaemia Society of India, Kolkata, says patients rely on both government and private blood banks.Dr Jassal notes that in patients with leukaemia or those undergoing chemotherapy, delayed platelet transfusions can significantly increase the risk of spontaneous or uncontrolled bleeding.Hospitals and blood banks frequently encounter situations where the required blood group or blood component is unavailable.One example is the Bombay blood group, first identified in Mumbai in 1952. It is an extremely rare blood type found predominantly in the Indian subcontinent.In India, it is estimated to occur in between one in 7,600 and one in 10,000 individuals.According to a study published in the United States’ Institutes of Health titled ‘’: When patients with the Bombay phenotype can receive only autologous blood or blood from another Bombay blood group. “Transfusing blood group O red cells to them can cause a fatal hemolytic transfusion reaction,” it states.The difficulty to find blood for patients with rare blood types is not limited to the Bombay blood group, and it remains a challenge for even the world’s most advanced healthcare infrastructures.A blood bank worker said that when the required blood is unavailable, hospitals often depend on replacement donors. Family members, friends or caregivers may have to donate blood themselves or search for a compatible donor.Dr. Sadhana Mangwana, Director, Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute said: “The gold standard is 100% voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation. India has improved, but about 30% of donations still come from replacement donors, suggesting that many hospitals continue to rely on families to arrange blood during emergencies.”Blood donations often decline during periods of extreme heat, election seasons and Ramadan, the worker said.The Covid-19 pandemic also severely disrupted blood donation drives, although supplies have since largely recovered.“Hospitals manage such situations (of blood group or component unavailability) through close coordination with regional blood centres, voluntary donor networks, and transfusion services to identify suitable donors and compatible blood products as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Jassal.