A: As a general rule blood banks shall go for healthy donors than donors with any disease.
When it comes to giving blood, there are a number of conditions that can make you ineligible. Unfortunately, people with diabetes won’t, in most cases, be eligible to give blood. The general policy is of refusing blood donations from anybody who may be placed at risk by giving blood. People who have been diagnosed with prediabetes are eligible to give blood, as long as they haven’t had any heart problems. People who take insulin are not allowed to give blood, which includes both people with type 1 diabetes and people with type 2 diabetes. The affect of blood donations on insulin levels is considered a risk to the donor’s health.
People who take diabetes medication can give blood, as long as their medication hasn’t changed in the last four weeks. People with diabetes who have experienced heart problems are, in most cases, ineligible to give blood.
This includes people who have: experienced faintness or giddiness as a result of heart problems, experienced heart failure, had surgery for blocked or narrowed arteries.
So, if you are a type 2 diabetic you can donate blood provided:
1) You are otherwise eligible to donate blood
2) You are not on insulin
3) You are taking same oral medicines and same doses for more than a month
4) You do not have any heart ailment
Also try to understand that the ultimate decision about accepting your blood donation is with the blood transfusion officer, looking after the blood bank.