Registration, a private health check (Hb finger-prick, BP, pulse, weight), then about 10 minutes on the couch while 350,450 ml is drawn, the amount depends on your weight, per national standards. Then a snack, a drink, and 10,15 minutes of rest. That’s the whole thing. 1. Register at the centre desk with any ID. 2. Screening, a doctor asks health/lifestyle questions in private. Honest answers protect patients; they’re confidential. 3. Donation, a sterile, single-use needle in the arm vein. You barely feel it after the first second. 4. Rest and refreshment, 10,15 minutes before you leave. The centre tests every unit for infections and groups it. Your donation can help up to three patients after component separation. Total time: about 45 minutes. The needle time: 10 of them.
Start here
How blood donation works, step by step
Exactly what happens from walking into a blood centre to walking out, in about 45 minutes.
People also ask
What happens to my blood after donation?
It is tested, grouped, and separated into components (red cells, platelets, plasma) then stored cold until a matched patient needs it.
How long does donated blood last?
Red cells about 35,42 days refrigerated; platelets only about 5 days; plasma can be frozen much longer. This is why regular supply matters more than bursts.
Can one donation help more than one patient?
Yes, separation means one unit can reach up to three patients: one needing red cells, another platelets, another plasma.
About this article
Written by Assam Blood Donor team. Medical review: pending, content follows published national (NBTC/NACO) guidance and is for general education, not personal medical advice. Last updated 26 Aug 2026.
Sources: National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) guidance · NACO Voluntary Blood Donation Programme · Assam SBTC donor criteria
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Reading is step one. Registering is step two.
Two minutes, phone OTP, your own 6-digit sign-in code. We contact you only when a patient near you needs your group.
Register as a donor