Another SOS issued for blood

Oct 05, 2011 News

– Minimum of 104 donors required by Friday

With a series of impending surgeries, anticipated medical emergencies and other operations requiring the use of blood and blood products, the Ministry of Health’s National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) has extended an urgent call to the public to donate the much needed substance.
Interestingly enough, the appeal comes at a time when the NBTS has been able to reach an 80 per cent voluntary donation capacity. While not able to definitively reveal the current level of stock available at the National Blood Bank, which is tasked with furnishing the hospitals of the country with blood and blood products, Coordinator of the facility, Ms Shameeza Mangal, noted that the level is way too low.
She expressed disappointment in the fact that the expected quota of blood drives across the country has slowed significantly which, by extension, has led to a reduction in the quantity of blood being directed to the Blood Bank. Blood drives, she explained, are dependent on the support of individuals, organizations and groups that are tasked with the extensive planning and finalizing of logistics before such an operation could be realized.

NBTS Coordinator, Shameeza Mangal

“Sometimes it takes weeks before we can get a blood drive off the ground and sometimes we can’t go to places like the countryside (rural areas) because it is too expensive for us to take all of our equipment and manpower there only to be able to get a few donors.
Sometimes it is much better if we can just provide the transportation for them (donors) to come to us, rather than for us to go to them…so this is why we are urging people to come in and donate blood…”
Mangal is optimistic that those within the various facets of the society such as the religious organizations and other interested bodies, could collaborate with the Blood Bank in order to increase the supply. Almost any person of adult age (17 years and older) is eligible to give blood, once they are ideally healthy and are above 110 pounds.
The Blood Bank had seen a substantial increase in voluntary donation when it introduced its Good Samaritan Programme in 2006. That Programme, according to Mangal, was designed to appeal to a wider cross-section of the population and was instrumental in bringing on board the 80 per cent voluntary donors.
“These donors have helped us to move away from the family replacement and paid donors, and research has proven that the safest units of blood come from those who donate regularly on a voluntary basis…when nobody is hospitalized for that donor they are there just to freely give their blood and they would honestly answer all (screening) questions.”
However, despite acquiring the 80 per cent voluntary donation status, the Blood Bank from time to time has been challenged with irregular donations. This, Mangal noted, is evident with the failure on the part of most donors to volunteer during certain crucial months of the year.
“It is as if some months just don’t exist for some people when it comes to blood donation…it’s as if it is a seasonal thing for some. For instance, for some people, giving blood in January, June and December seems to be very difficult and it is around those times that we seem to need it more.”
Come October 8 through 15, Mangal disclosed that there are plans for a number of major surgical operations at the Georgetown Public Hospital with each patient requiring a minimum of 13 units of blood per operation.
“We have to cater to open heart surgeries, deliveries where mothers may require blood, elected operations, accidents, cancer patients and it seems that this month is proving to be the most active for this year and that is why we need people to donate more.”
“The onus is on the individual to give blood so we are appealing to people’s inner emotions; we need individuals to show love and compassion and come out and give and it would cost them zero dollars to do so…saving a life is priceless,” she insisted.
Senior Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, in a recent statement expressed sincere gratitude to the new and regular blood donors for their continued support, even as he too alluded to the fact that there is a critically low level of blood. As a result, the Ministry has issued an SOS for blood.
“We are requesting regular blood donors or anyone who wants to be a donor to please come forward and make a donation.”
He revealed that during the coming weekend, a total of eight operations are anticipated – circumstances which would warrant additional blood. A minimum of 104 donors will be required to donate blood by Friday in order to meet the expected demand for blood and blood products, the Minister noted.
In addition to the scheduled operations, close to 300 units will also be needed during the course of the week, to facilitate procedures requiring blood at both public and private hospitals.
Persons willing to donate blood can do so between 08:00 and 18:00 hours at the various locations, including the NBTS’s Lamaha Street, Georgetown office, the West Demerara Regional Hospital in Region Three, the Suddie Hospital in Region Two, the New Amsterdam Hospital in Region Six and the Linden Hospital Complex in Region 10.