-blood supply still critical
THE Guyana Red Cross Society on Tuesday last collected close to 30 units of blood during their monthly blood drive, but the call for donors remains urgent.
Coordinator of the National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS), Ms. Shameeza Mangal said there are approximately seven other blood drives planned for this month, but made it clear that the call is for individuals to come in and give the gift of life.
“We have the drives but they are not confirmed, so we need the individuals to come in and make that voluntary donation,” she said.
She pointed out that surgeries are ongoing and there is always a need for blood.
According to coordinator the blood bank has been doing call backs to get persons who donated before to do so once more.
Mangal also made an appeal for the private sector to be more involved in promoting voluntary blood donation.
“During these months collection is low so we need all the support we can get,” she said.
Guyana’s Good Samaritan Programme is the country’s flagship programme designed to encourage all adult Guyanese to become a blood donor. It is a programme that allows each Guyanese to contribute to saving lives. Through this programme, the Health Ministry aims to have more that 7,000 Guyanese becoming regular blood donors. If this target is met and donors give blood twice a year, Guyana can be assured of 12,000 units of blood.
Voluntary givers are welcomed at all five sites nationwide: the NBTS headquarters in Georgetown, West Demerara Regional, New Amsterdam, Suddie and Linden hospitals.