SPH Red Apple Day
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
News Centre Auditorium
11am to 5pm

This blood donation drive is open to SPH staff, Beatty Secondary School staff and students and the public.

Donors who are interested in donating blood will have to bring along their NRIC or blood donation card for registration. Non-Singaporeans will have to produce their passports.

Requirements for donors
Age:16 to 60 years (16 & 17year-olds can donate with parental / guardian consent)
Weight: At least 45 kg (100 Ibs) for both males and females
Health: Generally good
Well Being: Feeling well that day. Not having colds, coughs or flu in the last one week. No fever (Temperature >37.5C) in the last 3 weeks.
Haemoglobin level: At least 12.5g/dl for males, and 12.0g/dl for females.

Intervals between blood donations
At least 12 weeks (3 months) between each blood donation.

Major Illness and Surgery

Persons with the following conditions are not eligible to donate blood:
? Diseases of the heart or lungs (Donors who are asthmatic and without symptoms of asthma is eligible)
? Cancer
? High blood pressure on medication
? Diabetes on medication
? Abnormal bleeding tendency or blood disorder
? Major surgery (can donate after 12 months)
? AIDS or symptoms of AIDS, such as unexplained fevers, severe night sweats, unexpected weight loss, swollen glands, chronic diarrhoea or rare cancer
? Uncontrolled seizures after infancy
? Hepatitis B or C
? Syphilis

Some Common Reasons for Temporary Deferrale

? Cold or sore throat, please wait one week after recovery or treatment
? Tooth extraction or dental work, wait for 3 days after treatment
? Skin infections (minor), wait 1 week after complete healing
? Normal pregnancy, please wait 6 weeks after delivery and when you are not breast-feeding.
? Travelled to a malaria endemic area, wait 6 weeks to 3 years and ask the attending doctor/nurse whether you are eligible for donation
? Close contact with Hepatitis B, wait 12 months and after full course of hepatitis B vaccination (and shown a satisfactory antibody response)
? Infectious Diseases e.g. Chickenpox, Measles, Dengue, wait 6 months after recovery
? Tattoo, pierced ears, acupuncture and blood transfusions, wait 1 year and inform the attending doctor/nurse

People who are taking drugs for cancer treatment, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes or current infections will not be accepted as blood donors.

At least 2 days after:
? Traditional Chinese Medicine (3 days)
? Tetanus toxoid vaccination (48 hours)
? Hepatitis B vaccination (48 hours) (48 hours)
? Rabies vaccination (with no exposure) (48 hours)
? Pneumococcus vaccination (48 hours)
? Meningococcus vaccination (48 hours)

At least 1 week after:
? Chloroquine ingestion
? Antibiotic ingestion

At least 2 weeks after:
? Typhoid vaccination
? Cholera vaccination
? Diphtheria vaccination
? Influenza (Flu) vaccination
? Pertussis vaccination
? Plague vaccination
? Polio (injection) vaccination
? Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever vaccination
? Typhus vaccination

At least 4 weeks after:
? Maloprim or Fansidar ingestion
? Mefloquine ingestion
? Rubella (German Measles) vaccination
? Yellow fever, measles, mumps vaccination
? Oral Polio vaccination
? Hepatitis A or combination Hepatitis A and B

At least 1 year after:
? Other animal or human serum products e.g. immunoglobulin
? Blood Transfusion
? Hepatitis B immune globulin
? Rabies (post-exposure)

The donor will be asked to wait for 6 weeks or more if he/she has traveled to Malaria endemic areas such as rural areas in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India, etc. Please clarify with the attending nurse or doctor.

With effect from 1 July 2002, you will be ineligible to donate blood indefinitely if you fall into EITHER one of the following 2 groups:

1. You have visited or lived in the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Island) from 1980 through 1996 for a cumulative period of 3 months or more, or you have received a transfusion of blood or blood components in the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Island) between 1980 till now.

2. You have visited or lived in France from 1980 till now for a cumulative period of 5 years or more.

However, if you have stayed in Europe (besides United Kingdom and France) for a cumulative period of more than 5 years, you can donate plasma only through apheresis method.This would require a deferment period of 12 months, unless the needles used are disposable and the whole procedure is sterile.

Pregnancy and Menstrual Period
? Females should not donate blood during pregnancy.
? They can donate after 6 weeks following a normal delivery and when they are not breast-feeding.
? Females should not donate blood if they are having heavy menstrual flow or menstrual cramps.

The above criteria cover some common situations that will render a prospective donor unsuitable for blood donation.

The doctor or nurse will exercise medical judgment during the medical interview for each individual donor.(INFORMATION ON REQUIREMENTS FOR DONORS FROM SINGAPORE RED CROSS)

ORGANISERS: SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS AND BEATTY SECONDARY SCHOOL
SUPPORTED BY: SINGAPORE RED CROSS

OFFICIAL RADIO STATIONS: RADIO 91.3 AND RADIO 100.3
OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS: ST MIND YOUR BODY AND LIANHE WANBAO
OFFICIAL ONLINE MEDIA: ASIAONE

MAIN SPONSORS:
MILO (NESTLE)
NESVITA (NESTLE)
HIGH 5 BREAD (SILVER BIRD FOODS)
BENELUX PRODUCE (DEALER IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE)

OTHER SPONSORS:
SPH MARKETING
SPH UNIONWORKS
SPH CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

While you help to replenish the blood stocks in Singapore, we will give you some sustenance in return as our appreciation - a red apple, health beverages and bread sponsored respectively by Benelux Produce, Nestle and Silver Bird Foods.