Why villagers have phobia for blood donation

Nikko Tanui

Students, especially in secondary schools, are known for their enthusiasm to donate blood. On the surface, they would argue they are doing it to save lives. But truth be told, it is because of the soda donors get after the exercise.

But on the other hand, villagers have irrational fear against the same. Whenever they are called upon to donate blood, even for one of theirs in hospital, most of them would begin to nervously bite their fingernails and look for endless excuses.

"Hebu niambie anataka damu aina gani? (Just tell me, what’s the patients blood group)" a village would ask in search for an excuse.

"O negative" he would be told.

"Too bad, mine is D+!" the know-it-all villager would lie to circumvent the exercise.

"How do you know?" a nosy villager would ask out of sheer anxiety.

"Wacha maswali mingi (stop being inquisitive)… Anyway, for your information, long ago, I donated blood to a friend and the doctors told me so," the villager would slyly add another lie.

To illustrate the great extent villagers would go to get excuses in avoidance to donate blood, here are some cases in point.

Recently, a friend required blood transfusion. When his uncle was requested to prepare himself to donate blood, the reaction was just interesting.

Safe to donate

"Can’t you see how slim I am? I don’t have enough blood to donate and you all know that!" he said, but nevertheless, he showed up in the hospital two days later for the exercise. He explained the fears to the doctor but was shocked to learn from the doctor that he was okay and could donate a pint or two.

Another contrasting case that amazed the villagers was that of one of my friend’s aunts. Despite her stout look, she was found unhealthy to donate blood because her blood count fell below the required level.

"Kumbe kunona haimaanishi una damu nyingi (so plumpness does not imply having excess blood)?" remarked my friend’s uncle in genuine wonder to the amusement of those queuing at the reception room waiting for their turns.

The villagers’ greatest fear for blood donation is their fear of being detected with dreaded diseases, which they are unaware of.

In rare incidents of donations, some of the villagers would tell the doctor: "Nitarudi wiki kesho kuona iko group gani na ni magonjwa gani iko ndani (I will be back to check on my blood group and status)." But most of them never return for the results.

"I don’t feel sick in my body. Why should I go to be told of the magonjwa elfu moja (many illnesses) have been detected?" most villagers pose.

"Kama damu yangu ni mbaya (whether my blood is unusable or infected with diseases), I don’t care. Wacha itupwe (let is be discarded)" they add with finality.

Some villagers would just be very precise to decline to donate blood while others do it and disappear immediately unwilling to know their status.

"Sio siri (doubtlessly), I have not been maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Chang’aa na busaa lazima iko kwa damu yangu sasa. Pia nimetapatapa ki-anasa (illicit brews would be detected. Besides my sexual life has not been healthy)" they would disclose.

Others would say: "Come on, leave me alone. Just go for the youngsters. Their blood is fresh and clean. I wish I was one: I would donate blood yearly as a Christmas gift to patients."

And to demonstrate how the villagers treasure their blood levels, whenever their fingers are injured, they just act like the mythical vampire Count Dracula — they happily suck and swallow the blood! "Come on it is my blood. I can’t just lose it. After all there are not many blood donors around," they would argue in mistaken belief that the swallowed blood would go back to their veins.

nikotanui@yahoo.com