Blood Bank Policy

Welcome to Afghan Blood Bank. These Terms, Conditions, and Policies govern the use of our services — including blood donation, blood product requests, and online platforms — by donors, recipients, healthcare partners, and visitors.

By accessing our facilities, registering as a donor, or submitting a blood request, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to abide by these policies in their entirety. We reserve the right to update these terms at any time; changes will be posted on this page with a revised date.

To ensure the safety of both donors and recipients, all prospective donors must meet the following criteria before donating:

Temporary deferrals may apply for: recent illness, pregnancy or breastfeeding (within 6 months of delivery), recent surgery, travel to malaria-endemic regions, tattoo or piercing within 6 months, or certain medications.

Permanent deferrals apply to donors with a history of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B or C, certain cancers, or other transmissible blood-borne conditions as determined by our medical team.

Every donation follows a standardized, medically supervised protocol to protect donor health and blood product integrity:

• Registration & ID Verification — valid government-issued photo ID is required at every visit.
• Health History Questionnaire — a confidential questionnaire covering recent health, travel, medications, and lifestyle factors.
• Pre-donation Physical — vital signs, hemoglobin, and a brief assessment conducted by trained staff.
• Blood Collection — performed using sterile, single-use, FDA/CE-approved equipment. Approximately 450 mL of whole blood is collected over 8–10 minutes.
• Post-donation Recovery — donors rest for a minimum of 15 minutes and receive refreshments before leaving.
• Laboratory Testing — all donations are screened for infectious diseases (HIV, Hepatitis B & C, syphilis, malaria, and others) before use.

Donation is entirely voluntary. Before any blood is collected, donors must sign an Informed Consent Form confirming they:

• Have truthfully completed the health history questionnaire.
• Understand the donation procedure, its minimal risks (bruising, dizziness, rare needle-site reactions), and post-care instructions.
• Consent to all required laboratory testing of their blood.
• Understand that donated blood may be used for transfusion, research, or manufacturing of life-saving products.
• Are donating voluntarily without monetary compensation (in accordance with WHO voluntary non-remunerated donation policy).

Donors may withdraw consent at any time before the needle is inserted without any penalty or prejudice.

We are committed to protecting your personal and medical information in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

• Collection: We collect only the information necessary to safely process your donation and maintain your donor record (name, contact details, health history, blood type, test results).
• Use: Your data is used solely for donation management, safety testing, regulatory reporting, and — with explicit consent — research purposes.
• Sharing: We do not sell or share your data with third parties except as required by law (e.g., reporting of certain infectious disease results to public health authorities) or with healthcare providers directly involved in your care.
• Retention: Donor records are retained for a minimum of 10 years in compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Access & Correction: You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention obligations.

All blood products collected by Afghan Blood Bank are distributed according to strict clinical and ethical criteria:

• Blood is allocated based on medical urgency, compatibility, and availability — not on the donor's or recipient's social, economic, or personal characteristics.
• Products are distributed exclusively to licensed hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities.
• Directed donations (to a specific named recipient) are accepted subject to medical suitability and must be requested in writing by the treating physician.
• Surplus inventory may be shared with partner blood banks to prevent shortages during emergencies.
• All distributed units are fully traceable from donor to recipient ("vein-to-vein" traceability) in accordance with haemovigilance regulations.

As a donor, you have the right to:

• Receive complete information about the donation process, risks, and your test results.
• Withdraw from the donation at any stage without consequence.
• Have your personal and medical information kept strictly confidential.
• Receive appropriate aftercare if you experience any adverse reaction.
• File a complaint or provide feedback at any time.

As a donor, you are responsible for:

• Providing accurate and truthful information on all forms.
• Disclosing any changes in health status relevant to blood safety.
• Following all pre- and post-donation instructions provided by staff.
• Notifying us promptly if you develop a condition after donation that could affect blood safety (post-donation information).

If you have questions about these policies, wish to exercise your data rights, or need to file a complaint, please contact our team:

• Email: info@afghanbloodbank.org
• Phone: +93 700 000 000 (Mon – Fri, 8 AM – 6 PM)
• In person: Speak with any staff member at our donation centers.
• Complaints: Unresolved concerns may be escalated to the relevant national health authority.

We aim to acknowledge all written inquiries within 2 business days and resolve complaints within 14 business days.