Latest update April 18th, 2025 8:12 AM
Regional blood collection slow
The blood collection coming in from the four regional hospitals in Guyana is very slow and something needs to be done in order to have it increased.
Shameeza Mangal
This view was expressed by National Blood Donor Manager of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Shameeza Mangal, who told Kaieteur News yesterday that the regional hospitals which include the New Amsterdam, Suddie, Linden and West Demerara hospitals have only been contributing small units of blood to the NBTS.
These hospitals, she said, are responsible for blood recruitment in the region. For the course of last week, the Linden hospital only recruited five units of blood of which two units came from voluntary donation.
The largest contribution, Mangal said, comes from the New Amsterdam Hospital and the Suddie Hospital.
Mangal noted, however, that the blood bank is grateful for each and every unit of blood collected.
Meanwhile, the situation at the NBTS has improved over the past week. The blood bank was able to acquire the 13 units of blood requested by the Georgetown Public Hospital for the three open heart surgeries that were conducted toward the end of the week.
Commenting on the voluntary donation, Mangal explained that this has significantly improved over the past weeks, as there are between 18 and 20 walk in donors on a daily basis at the blood bank.
Of that number, approximately 15 of them are voluntary donors.
Over the past several months, the blood bank has been struggling to meet its weekly buffer stock of 144 units.
In order to deal with this situation, the NBTS had commenced its ‘call back’ system in order to increase its blood stock to meet the needs of the people.
The system seems to be working, as most blood donors have agreed to donate again.
At the end of the week, the NBTS aims to get 144 units of blood, after the organisation would have sent off its usual stocks to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the four regional hospitals along with the private health institutions.
Meanwhile, October seems to be very promising for the blood bank, as Mangal noted that approximately 15 organisations have committed to holding blood drives.
This, she said, is a very encouraging development, as the NBTS needs ample supply of blood available to facilitate any emergency.
At this time also, the Ministry of Health is in the process of eliminating the family donor replacement programme, as Health Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy had noted that he does not want persons to be traumatised because their relatives need blood and they (the family) have to be responsible for finding donors.
Dr. Ramsammy had also announced that the blood buffer stock is expected to increase to 200 units per week as services are expanding within the health sector.
Minister Ramsammy had predicted that by 2012, some 12,000 units of blood maybe needed. This prediction might very well become a reality before 2012.
This newspaper understands that approximately 90 per cent of the blood collected at the blood bank goes to the GPHC, as more complicated surgeries are conducted at that medical facility.
(Fareeza Haniff)
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