Polycythemia: How too much blood can put you at risk

Blood pints at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Nairobi on March 8, 2023. [File, Standard]

The blood you don’t need could be exactly what someone else is praying for. It sounds inconceivable, yet for patients requiring frequent therapeutic phlebotomy—blood removal as treatment—this blood is lifesaving. Sadly, such blood cannot be used for transfusions, highlighting the need for proper screening before donations are considered suitable.