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Private hospitals given deadline for blood recruitment compliance

Jan 07, 2009 News

Private hospitals throughout the country that screen blood have three months to build their capacity to conduct this exercise in compliance with the national policy.
Barring this, they will be prohibited from conducting further blood screening.
Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy disclosed plans yesterday of becoming more rigid with these institutions, which he said “continue to flout certain requirements as it relates to blood screening.”
As it stands, a number of private hospitals are involved in family replacement blood recruitment exercises.
However, their testing capacity is limited and as such they are unable to screen blood for all the required diseases.
The National Blood Transfusion Service at the Georgetown Public Hospital is the only agency that conducts complete blood screening at the moment.
Before blood is transfused from that agency it is screened for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, malaria, HTLV (Human T-lymphotropic virus) and Chagas disease, among other infections.
Chagas disease is a zoonosis caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi1, 2.
It is a tropical disease and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among poor people in developing countries.
Chagas disease is endemic in almost all Latin American countries, including Mexico and the Central American nations.
Screening for this disease was introduced last December after it was found to be prevalent in neighbouring countries.
According to Minister Ramsammy, tests for the disease here turned up one case in an unexpected area.
“Because it has been prevalent in some neighbouring countries we expected that those Regions closest to the borders would have yielded results. That wasn’t so. The one case was detected somewhere else.”
The Minister posited that private hospitals lack the capacity to screen for hepatitis C, HTLV and Chagas disease. He lamented this situation especially against the backdrop that all three diseases exist in Guyana.
“It is not that we want to prevent anyone from lucrative business. I don’t have a problem with these hospitals screening blood but it must be done at national standards. It is important that blood collected is screened for all the infections.”
“The hospitals have three months to get their acts together in this regard or they will not be able to screen blood anymore.”
Meanwhile, the National Blood Transfusion Service is once again urgently appealing to the public to donate blood to raise the depleted supply with which it began the year.
At present, the stock level is 60% below what is needed for normal services.
This is despite the record volume of blood collected in 2008; almost 7,500 units.
Last month, the Unit collected only 228 units of blood.
This was less than 50% of the target for December, which was 540 units of blood.
Blood Bank officials say that the low level of collection is consistent with collection levels for December months of previous years.
“It is a holiday period of many persons, and regular donors tend to want to wait until after December to donate. It is a challenge we need to overcome.”
This year, the problem has been further compounded by the inclement weather.
“Not only have we had to deal with heavy rainfalls, but many communities have had to deal with flooding situation.
“The consequence is the National Blood Transfusion Service has a very low count of blood units in stock.
“We are therefore issuing an urgent appeal for blood donors. We need all kinds of blood, and we are urging Guyanese to assist us to ensure hospitals have adequate supplies of blood for those of our sisters and brothers who might need blood at this time.”
Persons can visit the National Blood Transfusion Service at the GPHC Compound at Lamaha Street, Georgetown, or the public hospitals at New Amsterdam or Suddie, or the Linden Regional Hospital to donate blood.

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