Did you know that expats can donate blood in Shanghai? We didn’t. Donated blood saves lives; America’s Blood Centers says that in the US, someone needs blood every two seconds and that one pint, extracatable in 10-15 minutes, can help up to three adults. It’s an easy way to make a big difference.

Hygiene and safety are major concerns for expats in China. There was a big HIV scandal in the ’90s when blood samples were taken from rural communities using dirty needles, and worries regarding AIDS / HIV transmission still linger. Dr. Michael Sui, internal medicine practitioner at Worldpath Clinic International assures us that it’s now safe. “The procedure of taking blood is sterile, and only disposable needles are used,” he says. “Nurses have been trained on strict sterile disinfection, which is applied to every case. Screening, storage and dispatch of blood are centralized, and follow international standards.”

The Shanghai Red Cross Blood Center at 1465 Beijing Xi Lu near Changde Lu is the only authorized donation location in Shanghai (Tel: 6275-8257, www.sbc.org.cn/eng). You can donate daily between 8am-4:30pm, and all you need is your passport. After registration, you’re shown into a room where a nurse sets you up, cleaning the skin on your an arm with an antiseptic and using a new, sterile, non-reusable needle to take about a pint of blood. Blood is generally drawn laying down, though you are free to sit up. Dr. Sui advises that donors refrain from drinking alcohol and eating excessively greasy food the day before blood is taken.

“All healthy adults can donate, regardless of nationality, and all blood types are welcome, especially Rh negative,” says Dr. Sui. “Blood donors do not require additional tests, but every blood sample is rigorously screened for HIV, Hepatitis B and C and syphilis before it’s stored for clinical use.”

If you’re about to become a parent, you may want to consider preserving your baby’s cord blood, which contains precious hematopoietic stem cells and can be used in the treatment of diseases like cancer. Cord blood is better than bone marrow when it comes to harvesting stem cells–collection is far less invasive and the rejection rate is lower. The Shanghai Cord Blood Bank, based at the Red Cross Blood Center, has a license from the Ministry of Health and can be reached at 400-675-5599 or online at www.shanghaicordblood.org.

Were you a regular blood donor back home? Would you consider donating blood here in Shanghai? Share your stories below.