Despite COVID-19 impact, NBTS set to make blood collection target - Director

Despite COVID-19 impact, NBTS set to make blood collection target – Director

Jun 22, 2022 News

Kaieteur News- The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) is well on its way to meeting its annual target for the collection of blood. This is according to the Director of the NBTS, Dr. Pedro Lewis. Dr. Lewis made this disclosure on Monday during an airing of the Your Health Matters programme on Kaieteur Radio.
During the radio programme, Dr. Lewis also spoke of a roll out of activities that was held in Observance of World Blood Donor Day on June 12, last. The NBTS Director revealed that the blood bank has been involved in a number of sensitisation activities geared at getting fresh blood donors as well as sustaining the relationship with the regular givers of blood.
“We have been going across the country showing our appreciation to persons who see the importance of donating blood to save lives. We have been distributing little tokens as a way of encouraging those persons who sometimes donate two and three times per year,” Dr. Lewis said.
He disclosed too that this year, the blood bank has done relatively well in terms of collection for its annual quota.

Director of the NBTS, Dr. Pedro Lewis

“We are at over 6000 units and our annual quota is between 10,000 and 12,000 units so you can safely say that we are on our way to meet our yearly target,” Dr. Lewis added.
He underscored the importance of voluntary blood donations. “This is a very critical service at all our major health facilities there is a need for blood, whether it is the surgeries, the pregnant women or some other serious condition, blood is needed. Pregnant women especially; every, one in two pregnant mothers need some form of blood treatment, so this is a highly critical area in the sector,” he explained.
Dr. Lewis noted too that he is very pleased with the recovery of the service after a sharp drop in donation at the height of the COVID- 19 pandemic.
According to Dr. Lewis, the NBTS had recorded a 25 percent reduction in blood donation for 2020 before there were any signs of a gradual increase.
“I am quite pleased with the response that we are getting now which will allow the blood bank to meet all its quotas this year,” he asserted.
Back in 2020, the NBTS started to see a decline in the number of persons donating blood. Dr. Lewis said there was a “sharp reduction” between March and August at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
On average, he said there was a 35 percent reduction between April and August. One unit is equivalent to about 450 ml to 500 ml.
Actual figures show that 391 units were collected in March, 2020 – the same month that Guyana recorded its first COVID-19 death – compared to 582 for March, 2019. In April, 2020, 369 units were collected compared to 1,060 in April 2019; 517 in May 2020 and 896 in May 2019; 641 in June 2020 and 685 in June 2019; 488 in July 2020 and 772 in July 2019, and 425 in August 2020 and 723 in August 2019.