Blood situation remains critical

Aug 15, 2011 News

-corporate Guyana urged to donate

There still is a need for more blood just one week after Minister of Health Leslie Ramsammy had sent out an SOS call for donors.
Coordinator at the Blood Bank, Shameeza Mangal yesterday told Kaieteur News that the situation is dire. According to her the situation has caused the blood bank to open even on “non-working” days in the hope of getting donors.
Mangal explained that there is a need for more voluntary donors. Kaieteur News was told that a majority of the donors come through the form of “blood drives”.
Mangal said that on a daily basis all the blood that is collected is handed over to the various health institutions, and the process starts all over again.
“If we get companies to donate, the present situation would improve….we need Guyanese to come out and donate blood” Mangal told Kaieteur News.
Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, had told this publication that there is a requirement of at least 600 to 800 units of blood which are necessary to facilitate supplies to patients on a monthly basis.
He said that demand is anticipated to increase to an average of 1,000 to 1,200 units by the end of this year and is expected to rise to 1,500 units by 2012.
Minister Ramsammy stated that due to the increase in capacity of the health sector, the blood bank has now exceeded its ability to collect blood.
This is due to the fact that 10 years ago there were 2,500 units of blood collected per year in comparison to 8,000 units presently.
Also while there were 2,000 surgeries conducted annually almost 10 years ago, there now is an average of 10,000 surgeries being conducted yearly.
Doctors are now utilizing more blood, with the number of surgeries per year expected to rise to 15,000 by the end of 2012, hence increasing surgical capacities.
The minister further stated that in cases of emergencies, the GPHC will have to prioritize its patients, from those who require blood immediately to those who can wait a day or two.
In spite of more blood being collected there is also more that is used. There are increased surgeries, doctors becoming more aggressive in treatment, cases where doctors never prescribed blood before and are now making requests. There is better storage than ever with no wastage. “All this shortage means is that more patients are receiving blood earlier and we will need to get more people to donate,” added the Health Minister.
The public is being urged by the Health Ministry to “save a life, come out to the blood bank and donate today”.
The blood bank will be open from 09:00 hrs (09:00am) to 16:00hrs during the week and will also be open on a few selected weekends.

Latest News

Blood situation remains critical

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 6th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

$1.5M up for grabs at K&S National Futsal Championship

Big Names Ready for Group 4 Showdown at ENET...

West Indies hammer England in series decider

Guyana Amazon Warriors confirm squad for 2024...

Excitement brews ahead of Hamilton Green’s KO...

SAMUEL FOO wins SEN School’s Chess Competition

Features/Columnists

A broad-based movement for the people’s voice on oil

Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all

That ever-present ‘they’

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Blood situation remains critical

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 6th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]