– NBTS Coordinator
By Vanessa Narine
COORDINATOR of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Ms. Shameeza Mangal said yesterday that, although the current need for donors is not urgent, continuing recruitment is necessary.

She made the comment after disclosing that the Blood Bank surpassed its weekly buffer stock of 170 units and now has 184 units in stock.

On Tuesday alone, it received 20 units through recruiting by the Red Cross Society in its monthly blood drive.

It was in addition to the 240 units on May 24, a collection that set a new largest single blood drive record in Guyana and the English speaking Caribbean.

That was spearheaded by Swami Aksharananda of Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, where the exercise was conducted for the second time in two years and will now be maintained annually.

Mangal said this latest donation also puts Guyana on track with its goal of acquiring 8,000 units by year end and 10,000 units by 2010.

At the end of last month, NBTS had collected 3,286 units and, of that amount, 2,549 were accumulated at the transfusion centre in Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) compound, she reported.

Mangal said Berbice Regional Health Authority was responsible for 244 units and Red Cross 178 units.

Suddie Hospital on Essequibo Coast contributed 118 units; St Joseph Mercy Hospital and Woodlands Hospital 41 units and 107 units, respectively, in the city, too.

FAMILY REPLACEMENTS
Mangal said 60 per cent of the 3,286 units secured as of the end of May were from volunteers and 34 per cent represented family replacements.

She said, because there is a higher risk associated with accepting blood from the latter source, NBTS, supported by the Ministry of Health, favours voluntary donors instead.

Mangal pointed out that, during the recruitment process, due to the imperative need for the blood, family members tend to withhold certain information in the interview session and this had negative impacts on the procedure.

However, NBTS recorded the most successful voluntary donation programme with a 72.4 per cent rate, ahead of the country target of 70 per cent in that category by 2009 year end, she stated.

Mangal reiterated that persons willing to volunteer are always welcome at all six sites nationwide- NBTS Headquarters in Georgetown; New Amsterdam, Berbice; Suddie, Essequibo Coast; Linden, Upper Demerara River and West Demerara Regional Hospital, West Coast Demerara.