Asked, answered
Frequently asked, honestly.
Requesting blood
How do I request blood?
Fill the form at /request-blood, name, phone, blood group, district, and a photo of the requisition slip if you have one. Your request goes live immediately and every matching donor near you is alerted within seconds. You get a 6-digit code to track it.
Do I need to create an account or wait for approval?
No. Requesting needs no account, no password and no waiting, requests are live the moment you submit. Registration and OTP are only for donors.
Why can I only file 3 requests a week?
The limit protects donors from spam and keeps alerts meaningful, a real emergency rarely needs more. If you are stuck, use the WhatsApp helpline and a human will help you.
How do I track my request?
Go to /track and enter your 6-digit code plus the last 4 digits of your phone number. You will see status, hospital and how many donors were alerted.
Is this a blood bank?
No. We never hold, test or issue blood. Donation happens only at licensed centres, we mobilise verified voluntary donors toward them, free.
What does it cost?
Nothing from us, ever, for requesters and donors both. The hospital/blood centre may charge for testing and processing by law, our cost checker shows what is legal and what is not.
Finding & contacting donors
How do I find a donor near me?
Search the donor directory by blood group and district. Donors shown are verified and currently available; those resting after a recent donation show as "resting" with the date they return.
Why can I only message a few donors per day?
Donors are volunteers, not a call centre. Limits (4 contacts an hour, 12 a day) keep them willing to help. Need wider reach? File a request, one submission alerts every matching donor at once.
A donor asked me for money. What do I do?
Refuse and report it, use the report button on their card. Two independent reports hide the donor automatically. Paid blood donation is illegal in India; no genuine voluntary donor will ever ask.
Registering as a donor
How do I register as a blood donor in Assam?
One form at /register: name, mobile + OTP, blood group, district and a photo of your driving licence (or any certificate showing your name AND blood group, NOT Aadhaar or PAN, they have no blood group). We review it, then you are active. Two minutes, your own 6-digit sign-in code, free.
Why do you need an ID photo?
One human check that each donor is real and the blood group is right. Driving licence or a name-plus-blood-group certificate only, Aadhaar and PAN do not show blood group. The document is encrypted, seen only by the founder, never published, and deleted with your account.
How often will I be contacted?
Only when a compatible request appears near you. Most donors hear from us once or twice a year. You can pause for 14 days or withdraw consent at any time.
Can I say no to a request?
Always, with one tap, no reason needed. Declining is never recorded against you.
What if I move districts or change my number?
Re-register with the new number (OTP re-verifies you) or message the helpline and we will update your record. Your donation history stays.
Can I hide myself from the directory but still get alerts?
Yes, directory visibility and request alerts are separate. Toggle directory listing from your dashboard; alerts continue either way.
Eligibility, the real pain points
Can I donate if I have diabetes or high blood pressure?
Usually yes, if controlled with tablets and you feel well, but each centre makes the final call at screening. Honest declaration always beats guessing.
Can I donate during my period?
Yes, if you feel well and your haemoglobin passes the 12.5 gate. Heavy or painful periods, wait a few days, nobody is judging.
I have a tattoo or piercing. Can I donate?
In India, yes after a 6-month wait from the date it was done (some centres 12 months for cosmetic work). After that, tattooed donors donate like anyone else.
Can thyroid or anaemia patients donate?
Controlled thyroid: usually yes. Anaemia or low haemoglobin: not until Hb passes 12.5 g/dL, the finger-prick test at the centre decides.
Not sure if you are eligible at all?
Use the 60-second eligibility checker, it walks the NBTC rules with you and tells you what to declare at screening.
First-time fears
Does it hurt?
A pinprick, then nothing. The needle stays in for 8–10 minutes while you squeeze a ball. Most first-timers say the anticipation was worse than the donation.
What if I faint?
Fainting is rare and almost always preventable, eat, drink water, sleep, and never donate on an empty stomach. Staff watch you for 15 minutes after; nobody faints alone at a licensed centre.
How much blood is taken? Will I feel weak?
About 350 mL in India (a can of cola), replaced by your body within days. Most people feel completely normal; iron-rich food for a week helps you rebuild faster.
Is donated blood safe from my side? What happens to it?
Every bag is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and malaria before it reaches a patient. You also self-declare health questions, honesty is part of the safety chain.
Privacy & control
Is my phone number public?
No. It is encrypted at rest and never published. If you list yourself in the directory, a seeker gets a WhatsApp link to you, they never see your number on the site, and you can unlist any time.
How do I delete my account?
From your dashboard: withdraw consent (you are never contacted again and are anonymised within 72 hours) or request full deletion, which a human completes within 48 hours.
Do you sell data or show ads?
No and no. No data sale, no ad trackers, no analytics spyware. The transparency report shows exactly what is collected and why.
Blood centres & camps
Why do you list only verified centres?
Because a stale centre list can cost a life. We publish only what we have independently verified, with source and date, and route everything else to live official listings.
How do I organise a donation camp?
Partner with your district's licensed centre; our organiser guide walks through it, and listing on our camps page is free.
The long answers
Every short answer above has a full guide behind it. Start with the first-time donor guide, then is donation safe, what to do after donating, and the iron-rich meal plan. Anything still unanswered, tell us and it becomes the next FAQ.