The National Blood Centre (Pusat Darah Negara, PDN) in Kuala Lumpur is the Ministry of Health Malaysia's referral centre for blood transfusion. You are eligible to donate blood if you are healthy, aged 17-60 (first-time) or 17-65 (repeat donor), weigh 45kg or more, have slept at least 5 hours, and your last donation was at least 3 months ago. Donors receive free medical treatment privileges at government hospitals according to the number of donations.
- Eligible age: 17-60 for first-time donors, 17-65 for repeat donors; those aged 17 need written consent from a parent/guardian.
- Minimum body weight of 45kg, at least 5 hours of sleep, and having eaten before donating.
- The interval between whole blood donations is at least 3 months; each donation takes about 450ml of blood.
- Donors with 1-5 donations receive free outpatient treatment and second-class ward care for a period of 4 months.
Who this applies to: Members of the public in Malaysia who intend to donate blood or wish to understand the role of the National Blood Centre.
On this page
According to PDN, a single blood donation can save at least three lives — because whole blood is processed into red blood cells, platelets and plasma for different patients.
What is the National Blood Centre?
The National Blood Centre (Pusat Darah Negara, PDN) is located at Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, and operates under the Ministry of Health Malaysia (KKM). It provides an adequate and safe blood supply and acts as the referral centre in the field of Transfusion Medicine. The KKM’s Blood Bank Information System (BBIS v2) covers 22 main blood collection sites nationwide, in addition to hospital blood banks and mobile blood donation campaigns.
Are you eligible to donate blood?
According to PDN’s official guidelines, you are eligible to donate blood if you meet the following requirements:
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Health | Physically healthy, no health problems |
| Age (first-time) | 17-60 years |
| Age (repeat donor) | 17-65 years |
| Body weight | 45kg or more |
| Sleep | Minimum 5 hours |
| Food | Have eaten before donating |
| Donation interval | Last donation at least 3 months ago |
Donors aged 17 must obtain written consent from a parent or guardian, while those aged 60 and above must submit a Health Report. Female donors, meanwhile, cannot donate if they are pregnant, menstruating, or breastfeeding.
You are asked not to donate blood if you are involved in high-risk activities such as same-sex or bisexual intercourse, relations with commercial sex workers, having multiple sexual partners, or injecting drugs. In addition, you are also ineligible if you lived in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996 for 6 months (cumulative) or more, or lived in any European country from 1980 to the present for 5 years (cumulative) or more — both on account of vCJD risk.
How often can you donate and how much is taken?
Each whole blood donation takes about 450ml, according to PDN. Because red blood cells need 4-8 weeks to be replaced, the minimum interval between whole blood donations is 3 months. Donated blood is tested to determine the blood group and to detect infections such as syphilis, hepatitis B and C, and HIV before it is used.
What are the donor privileges?
KKM grants free medical treatment privileges at government hospitals according to the total number of lifetime donations. Among them:
| Number of donations | Privilege |
|---|---|
| 1-5 times | Outpatient treatment (including dental) and free second-class ward care for 4 months |
| 2 times (within 12 months) | Free Hepatitis B preventive injection |
| 21-30 times | Outpatient treatment and free second-class ward care for 3 years |
| 51-75 times | Free first-class ward care for 10 years, then second-class ward for life |
| More than 100 times | Free first-class ward care for 20 years, then second-class ward for life |
How to donate
Bring the original documents of your personal identification — Identity Card, driving licence, employee card or student card (with photo and IC number) for citizens; copies are not accepted. Repeat donors may bring the Blood Donor Book (PDN 2). You must also be able to read and understand the registration form in Malay or English without a translator. Donations can be made directly at PDN, at a hospital blood bank, or through mobile blood donation campaigns organised from time to time.
What’s next
Review the eligibility requirements again and make sure you have had enough sleep and have eaten before attending. For the latest information, operating hours and mobile campaign locations, visit the official National Blood Centre portal at pdn.gov.my or contact PDN at 03-2613 2688.
How often can I donate blood?
For whole blood, the minimum interval is 3 months because red blood cells take 4-8 weeks to be replaced.
How much blood is taken each time I donate?
About 450ml per whole blood donation, according to PDN.
Who cannot donate blood?
These include those involved in high-risk activities, female donors who are pregnant/menstruating/breastfeeding, anyone who lived in the UK for 6 months or more (cumulative) between 1980 and 1996, or who has lived in a European country for 5 years or more (cumulative) from 1980 to the present — both on account of vCJD risk.
The following are deliberately unstated or described only qualitatively until confirmed by a subject-matter expert:
- Angka '1 pain (586ml)' dipetik terus daripada FAQ rasmi PDN, tetapi tidak sepadan dengan pain imperial piawai (568ml) mahupun pain AS (473ml). Sahkan nilai terkini yang diterbitkan PDN sebelum penerbitan.
- Ambang dan tempoh keistimewaan penderma (1-5, 2 kali/12 bulan, 21-30, 51-75, lebih 100 kali) — sahkan terhadap halaman 'Keistimewaan Penderma' PDN terkini kerana dasar boleh berubah.
- Had umur (17-60 kali pertama, 17-65 ulangan) dan keperluan Laporan Kesihatan bagi 60 tahun ke atas — sahkan terhadap garis panduan kelayakan PDN versi terkini.
- Bilangan 22 tapak pungutan darah (BBIS v2) — sahkan terhadap papan pemuka KKMNOW/PDN semasa.
- Nombor telefon (03-2613 2688) dan alamat PDN — sahkan masih tepat.
- Keputusan editorial: sama ada bendera sensitivity perlu dinaikkan melebihi 'none' memandangkan kriteria penangguhan MSM/pekerja seks/penyuntik dadah dihasilkan semula (dipetik verbatim daripada garis panduan rasmi PDN, tanpa bahasa advokasi).
Sources
- Kelayakan Menderma Darah (Garis Panduan PDN.RP/WI-01/G01) — Pusat Darah Negara, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
- Keistimewaan Penderma — Pusat Darah Negara, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
- FAQs Umum Pendermaan Darah — Pusat Darah Negara, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
- Portal Utama Pusat Darah Negara — Pusat Darah Negara, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
- Blood Donation Dashboard (KKMNOW) — Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
Change history
| Version | Date | Change | By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01.00 | 1 Aug 2026 | Approved and published. | — |