| Guidelines for Blood Donor Selection and Blood Donor Referral |
| Blood Donor Selection Criteria |
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| Sl. No. | Criteria | | Recommendations |
| 1 | Well Being | * | The Donor shall be in good health, mentally alert and physically fit and shall not be inmates of jail or any other confinement |
| * | Differently abled or donor with communication and sight difficulties can donate blood provided that clear and confidential communication can be established and he/she fully understands the donation process and gives a valid consent |
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| 2 | Age | * | Minimum age 18 years |
| * | Maximum age 65 years |
| * | First time donor shall not be above 60 years of age |
| * | For Repeat donor upper limit is 65 years |
| * | For aphaeresis donors 18-60 years |
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| 3 | Whole Blood Volume Collected and Weight of donor | * | 350 ml – 45 kg |
| * | 450 ml – more than 55 kg |
| * | Apheresis – 50 kg |
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| 4 | Donation Interval | * | For whole blood donation, once in three months (90 days) for males and four months (120 days) for females |
| * | For apheresis, at least 48 hours interval after platelet/Plasma Apheresis shall be kept (not more than 2 times a week, limited to 24 times in one year) |
| * | After whole blood donation a plateletpheresis donor shall not be accepted before 28 days |
| * | Apheresis platelet donor shall not be accepted for whole blood donation before 28 days from the last platelet donation provided reinfusion of red cell was complete in the last plateletpheresis donation. If the reinfusion of red cells was not complete then the donor shall not be accepted within 90 days |
| * | A donor shall not donate any type of donation within 12 months after a bone marrow harvest, within 6 months after a peripheral stem cell harvest |
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| 5 | Blood Pressure | * | 100-140mm Hg systolic 60-90mm Hg diastolic with or without medications |
| * | There shall be no findings suggestive of end organ damage or secondary complication (cardiac, renal, eye or vascular) or history of feeling giddiness, fainting made out during history and examination, fainting made out during history and examination. Neither the drug nor its dosage should have been altered in the last 28 days |
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| 6 | Pulse | * | 60-100 beats per minute |
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| 7 | Temperature | * | Afebrile; 37°C/98.4°F |
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| 8 | Respiration | * | The donor shall be free from acute respiratory disease |
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| 9 | Haemoglobin | * | It should be above 12.5g/dL |
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| 10 | Meal | * | The donor shall not be fasting before the blood donation or observing fast during the period of blood donation and last meal should have been taken at least 4 hours prior to donation |
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| 11 | Alcohol | * | Donor shall not have consumed alcohol and show signs of intoxication before the blood donation. The donor shall not be a person having regular heavy alcohol intake |
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| 12 | Occupation | * | The donor who works as air crew member, long distance vehicle driver, either above sea level or below sea level or in emergency services or where strenuous work is required, shall not donate blood at least 24 hours prior to their next duty shift. The donor shall not be a night shift worker without adequate sleep |
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| 13 | Risk Behavior | * | The donor shall be free from any disease transmissible by blood transfusion, as far as can be determined by history and examination |
| * | The donor shall not be a person considered “at risk” for HIV, Hepatitis B or C infections (Transgender, Men who have sex with men, Female sex workers, Injecting drug users, persons with multiple sexual partners or any other high risk as determined by the medical officer deciding fitness to donate blood) |
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| 14 | Travel and Residence | * | The donor shall not be a person with history of residence or travel in a geographical area which is endemic for diseases that can be transmitted by blood transfusion and for which screening is not mandated or there is no guidance in India |
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| 15 | Donor Skin | * | The donor shall be free from any skin diseases at the site of phlebotomy. The arms and forearms of the donor shall be free of skin punctures of scars indicative of professional blood donors or addiction of self-injected narcotics |
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| Physiological Status for Women |
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| 16 | Pregnancy or recently delivered | * | Defer for 12 months after delivery |
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| 17 | Abortion | * | Defer for 6 months after abortion |
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| 18 | Breast feeding | * | Defer for total period of lactation |
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| 19 | Menstruation | * | Defer for the period of menstruation |
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| Non-Specific Illness |
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| 20 | Minor non-specific symptoms including but not limited to general malaise, pain, headache | * | Defer until all symptoms subside and donor is afebrile |
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| Respiratory (Lung) Diseases |
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| 21 | Cold, flu, cough, sore throat or acute sinusitis | * | Defer until all symptoms subside and donor is afebrile |
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| 22 | Chronic sinusitis | * | Accept unless on antibiotics |
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| 23 | Asthmatic attack | * | Permanently defer |
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| 24 | Asthmatics on steroids | * | Permanently defer |
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| Surgical Procedures |
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| 25 | Major Surgery | * | Defer for 12 months after recovery (Major surgery being defined as that requiring hospitalisation, anaesthesia (general\spinal) had Blood Transfusion and\or had significant blood loss) |
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| 26 | Minor Surgery | * | Defer for 6 months after recovery |
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| 27 | Received Blood Transfusion | * | Defer for 12 months |
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| 28 | Open heart surgery Including By-pass surgery | * | Permanently defer |
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| 29 | Cancer surgery | * | Permanently defer |
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| 30 | Tooth extraction | * | Defer for 6 months after tooth extraction |
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| 31 | Dental surgery under anaesthesia | * | Defer for 6 months after recovery |
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| Cardio-Vascular Diseases (Heart Disease) |
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| 32 | Has any active symptom (Chest pain, Shortness of breath, swelling of feet) | * | Permanently defer |
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| 33 | Myocardial infarction (Heart Attack) | * | Permanently defer |
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| 34 | Cardiac medication (Digitalis, Nitroglycerine) | * | Permanently defer |
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| 35 | Hypertensive heart disease | * | Permanently defer |
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| 36 | Coronary artery disease | * | Permanently defer |
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| 37 | Angina pectoris | * | Permanently defer |
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| 38 | Rheumatic heart disease with residual damage | * | Permanently defer |
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| Central Nervous System / Psychiatric Diseases |
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| 39 | Migraine | * | Accept if not severe and occurs at a frequency of less than once a week |
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| 40 | Convulsions and Epilepsy | * | Permanently defer |
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| 41 | Schizophrenia | * | Permanently defer |
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| 42 | Anxienty and mood disorders | * | Accept person having anxiety and mood (affective) disorders like depression or bipolar disorder, but is stable and feeling well on the day regardless of medication |
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| Endocrine Disorders |
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| 43 | Diabetes | * | Accept person with Diabetes Mellitus Well controlled by diet or oral hypoglycaemic medication, with no history of orthostatic hypotension and no evidence of infection, neuropathy or vascular disease (in particular peripheral ulceration) |
| * | Permanently defer Person requiring insulin and/or complications of Diabetes with multi organ involvement |
| * | Defer if oral hypoglycaemic medication has been altered/dosage adjusted in last 4 Weeks |
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| 44 | Thyroid disorders | * | Accept donations from Individuals with Benign thyroid disorders If Euthyroid (Asymptomatic goitre, History of viral thyroiditis, Auto Immune Hypo Thyroidism) |
| * | Defer if under investigation for thyroid disease or thyroid status is not known |
| * | Permanently defer if: |
| * | 1) Thyrotoxicosis due to Graves’ disease |
| * | 2) Hyper/Hypo thyroid |
| * | 3) History of Malignant Thyroid Tumours |
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| 45 | Other endocrine disorders | * | Permanently defer |
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| Liver Diseases And Hepatitis Infection |
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| 46 | Hepatitis | * | Known Hepatitis B, C – Permanently defer |
| * | Unknown Hepatitis – Permanently defer |
| * | Known Hepatitis A or E – Defer for 12 Months |
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| 47 | Spouse/partner/close Contact of individual suffering with hepatitis | * | Defer for 12 months |
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| 48 | At risk for hepatitis by tattoos, acupuncture or body piercing, scarification and any other invasive cosmetic prodecure by self or spouse/partner | * | Defer for 12 months |
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| 49 | Spouse/partner of individual receiving transfusion of blood/components | * | Defer for 12 months |
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| 50 | Jaundice | * | Accept donor with history of jaundice that was attriduted to gall stones, Rh disease, mononucleosis or in neonatal period |
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| 51 | Chronic liver disease/Liver failure | * | Permanently defer |
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| HIV Infection/AIDS |
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| 52 | At Risk for HIV infection (Transgender, Men who have sex with men, Female Sex Workers, Injecting drug users, Persons with multiple sex partners) | * | Permanently defer |
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| 53 | Known HIV Positive Person Or Spouse/partner of PLHA (Person Living With HIV AIDS) | * | Permanently defer |
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| 54 | Persons having symptoms suggestive of AIDS | * | Permanently defer person having lymphadenopathy, prolonged and repeated fever, prolonged & repeated diarrhoea irrespective HIV risk or status |
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| Sexually Transmitted Infections |
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| 55 | Syphilis (Genital Sore, or Generalized skin rashes | * | Permanently defer |
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| 56 | Gonorrhoea | * | Permanently defer |
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| Other Infectious Diseases |
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| 57 | History of Measles, Mumps, Chickenpox | * | Defer for 2 weeks following full recovery |
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| 58 | Malaria | * | Defer for 3 months following full recovery |
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| 59 | Typhoid | * | Defer for 12 months following full recovery |
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| 60 | Dengue/Chikungunya | * | In case of history of dengue/chikungunya: Defer for 6 months following full recovery |
| * | Following visit to Dengue/Chikungunya endemic area: 4 Weeks following return from visit to dengue endemic area if no febrile illness is noted |
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| 61 | Zika Virus/West Nile Virus | * | In case of Zika infection: Defer for 4 Months following full recovery |
| * | In case of history of travel to West Nile Virus endemic area or Zika virus outbreak zone: Defer for 4 months |
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| 62 | Tuberculosis | * | Defer for 2 years following confirmation of cure |
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| 63 | Leishmaniasis | * | Permanently defer |
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| 64 | Leprosy | * | Permanently defer |
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| Other Infections |
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| 65 | Conjunctivitis | * | Defer for the period of illness and continuation of local medication |
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| 66 | Osteomyelitis | * | Defer for 2 years following completion of treatment and cure |
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| Kidney Disease |
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| 67 | Acute infection of Kidney (Pyelonephritis) | * | Defer for 6 months after complete recovery and last dose of medication |
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| 68 | Acute infection of bladder (Cystitis)/UTI | * | Defer for 2 weeks after complete recovery and last dose of medication |
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| 69 | Chronic infection of kidney/Kidney disease/Renal failure | * | Permanently defer |
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| Digestive System |
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| 70 | Diarrhoea | * | Person Having history of diarrhoea in preceding week particularly if associated With fever: Defer For 2 weeks after Complete recovery and last dose of medication |
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| 71 | GI endoscopy | * | Defer for 12 months |
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| Guidelines for Blood Donor Selection and Blood Donor Referral / 2017 |
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| 72 | Acid Peptic Disease | * | Accept person with acid reflux, Mild Gastro-Oesophageal reflux, mild hiatus hernia, Gastro-Oesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), Hiatal hernia |
| * | Permanently defer person with stomach ulcer with symptoms or with recurrent bleeding |
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| Other Diseases / Disorders |
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| 73 | Autoimmune disorder like Systemic lupus erythematosis, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, ankylosing spondylitis or several rheumatoid arthritis | * | Permanently defer |
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| 74 | Polycythaemia Vera | * | Permanently defer |
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| 75 | Bleeding disorders and unexplained bleeding tendency | * | Permanently defer |
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| 76 | Malignacy | * | Permanently defer |
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| 77 | Severe allergic disorders | * | Permanently defer |
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| 78 | Haemoglabinopathies and red cell enzyme deficiencies with known history of haemolysis | * | Permanently defer |
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| Vaccination and Inoculation |
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| 79 | Non live Vaccines and Toxoid: Typhoid, Cholera, Papillomavirus, Influenza, Meningococcal, Pertussis, Pneumococcal, Polio Injectable, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Plague | * | Defer for 14 days |
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| 80 | Live attenuated vaccines: Polio oral, Measles (Rubella) Mumps, Yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, influenza, Typhoid, Cholera, Hepatitis A | * | Defer for 28 days |
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| 81 | Anti-tetanus serum, Anti-venom serum, Anti-diphtheria serum and Anti-gas gangrene serum | * | Defer for 28 days |
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| 82 | Anti-rabies vaccination following animal bite, Hepatitis B immuneglobulin, Immunoglobulins | * | Defer for 1 year |
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| 83 | Swine Flu | * | Defer for 15 days |
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| Medications Taken By Prospective Blood Donor |
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| 84 | Oral contraceptive | * | Accept |
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| 85 | Analgesics | * | Accept |
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| 86 | Vitamins | * | Accept |
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| 87 | Mild sedative and tranquillizers | * | Accept |
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| 88 | Allopurinol | * | Accept |
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| 89 | Cholesterol lowering medication | * | Accept |
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| 90 | Salicylates (Aspirin), other NSAIDs | * | Defer for 3 days if blood is to be used for Platelet preparation |
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| 91 | Ketoconazole, Antihelminthic drugs including mebendazole | * | Defer for 7 days after last dose if donor is well |
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| 92 | Antibiotics | * | Defer for 2 weeks after last dose if donor is well |
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| 93 | Ticlopidine, Clopidogrel | * | Defer for 2 weeks after last dose |
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| 94 | Piroxicam, Dipyridamole | * | Defer for 2 weeks after last dose |
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| 95 | Etretinate, Acitretin or Isotretinoin (Used for acne) | * | Defer for 1 month after the last dose |
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| 96 | Finasteride used to treat Benign prostatic hyperplasia | * | Defer for 1 month after the last dose |
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| 97 | Radioactive contrast material | * | Defer for 8 weeks |
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| 98 | Dutasteride used to treat Benign prostatic hyperplasia | * | Defer for 6 months after the last dose |
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| 99 | Any medication of unknown nature | * | Defer till details are available |
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| 100 | Oral anti-diabetic drugs | * | Accept if there is no alteration in dose within last 4 weeks |
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| 101 | Insulin | * | Permanently defer |
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| 102 | Anti-arrhythmic, Anti-convulsions, Anticoagulant, Anti-thyroid drugs, Cytotoxic drugs, Cardiac Failure Drugs (Digitalis) | * | Permanently defer |
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| Other Conditions Requiring Permanent Deferral |
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| 103 | Recipients of organ, stem cell and tissue transplants. Donors who have an delayed faint with injury or two consecutive faints following a blood donation | * | Permanently defer |
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| Residents of Other Countries |
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| 104 | Residents of Other Countries | * | Accept only after stay in India for three continuous years |
