NBTS appeals for blood

Oct 27, 2009 News

The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) has once again upped its appeal to organisations, more specifically the private sector to play their role in society in holding a blood drive.
At this time, the NBTS is facing a difficult period where organisations are not getting involved in organising blood drives, thus a limited stock of blood is available at the blood bank, putting pressure on the NBTS in being totally dependent on voluntary donors.
For this week, only two entities have volunteered to host blood drives, and these include the Roraima Group of Companies of which 15 units of blood is expected to be donated and the United States Embassy, where 59 potential donors are expected to give their blood.
National Blood Donor Manager of the NBTS, Shameeza Mangal, told Kaieteur News yesterday that the situation is one that is not satisfying since the blood bank needs to ensure that enough blood is collected by December, in order to stock up for the Christmas season.
She explained that during December, a lot of organisations tend not to hold any blood recruitment drive since they are taken up with their own business.
At this time, the NBTS is only collecting enough blood to satisfy the needs of the various hospitals, including the private health institutions. The NBTS is still involved in its ‘call back’ programme, where donors are asked to donate blood again.
This programme, Mangal said, has proven to be a success and the NBTS will continue with it as long as it takes.
At this time, however, there is not a significant shortage of blood, as the NBTS receives a number of voluntary donors each day.
Over the past several months, the NBTS has been facing many challenges in gathering enough blood to meet the needs of the Guyanese people.
Since blood cannot be manufactured, the blood bank relies entirely on voluntary donation and blood drives.
At this time also, the Ministry of Health is in the process of eliminating the family donor replacement programme. 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.
He had predicted that by 2012, some 12,000 units of blood may be needed. This prediction he noted might very well become a reality before 2012.
To this effect, this newspaper understands that approximately 90% of the blood collected at the blood bank goes to the GPHC, as more complicated surgeries are conducted at this medical facility.

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NBTS appeals for blood

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