Latest update November 23rd, 2024 12:07 AM
Nov 02, 2008 News
Following the crisis that Guyana had experienced with the shortage of blood, Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has revealed that Guyana is no longer in the crisis situation that it had experienced approximately two months ago.
The Health Minister noted that September saw the highest collection of blood.
He noted that he is impressed by the number of voluntary donors that the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) has been able to achieve during the blood shortage.
Dr. Ramsammy also lauded the cooperation of the corporate entities, which he noted dedicated their time, energy and resources into hosting a number of blood drives around the country, so as to significantly boost the blood stock at the blood bank.
“It’s a growing family of good Samaritans in Guyana helping us attain our target of 10,000,” Minister Ramsammy said.
He added that Guyana now has 70 percent voluntary blood donation, something which is a significant improvement in the country.
“So we are moving from when I became minister of around seven percent voluntary donors, to now 70 percent of voluntary donors. This demonstrates that the myth that people had postulated that Guyanese and Caribbean people do not have a culture of giving blood is just that, a ‘myth’.
“I think that if we work with our people and educate them, they will become donors,” Ramsammy told reporters at his recent press conference.
He also revealed that the Ministry of Health has moved from less than .1 percent of the population to just over one percent of the adult population who are now donating blood.
“I think that’s an impressive achievement. Our goal is to have between 1.5 to 2 percent of Guyanese becoming voluntary blood donors.”
The ministry also aims to reduce the number of blood drives being hosted, so that persons who have specific dates during the year can donate blood voluntarily.
Up to two years ago, the NBTS relied exclusively on people from the Georgetown, East Coast and East Bank of Demerara to donate blood. But, according to Minister Ramsammy, this has now been extended to areas such as Bartica, Essequibo Coast, Corriverton and Linden.
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