The blood collection target for 2012 has been moved from 10,000 to 12,000 units, and Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said Guyana needs to “get to this” as soon as possible, in light of increasing demands.
He explained that with the developments in the health sector and expansion of service areas, the need for blood has increased.
Ramsammy said, “We need to accelerate our efforts.”
In this context, he noted that an increasing number of partnerships are being forged with “collaborators who will go out and encourage persons to become donors.”
The most recent of these collaborators is the Lions Club of Georgetown, who, for their 50th anniversary, organised not only their members, but other persons to be part of a drive yesterday at the National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS), East Street.
This is expected to be an annual activity and the Health Minister noted that if more organisations can come forward to make a meaningful contribution for their anniversary celebrations, enough units can be collected.
Ramsammy said by November, the Health Ministry is expected to be in possession of a list of organisations that will support the bank with annual blood drives.
“The essence of collaborators is that they take on some of the responsibilities we have and reach more people,” Ramsammy said.
Meanwhile, Coordinator of the NBTS, Ms. Shameeza Mangal, agreed that the blood bank’s need for more donors persists.
“We are pushing awareness with more TV advertisements because we need more donors to come in,” she said.

Recently, another blood drive was organised one by the Guyana Central Arya Samaj in celebration of the 100th anniversary, when a total of 32 units were collected.
The NBTS Coordinator called for leaders of both public and private organisations to be role models for staffers and oblige with their social duty.
Mangal added that a large part of encouraging voluntary blood donation is to ensure that family replacements are not a must when blood is needed.
She explained that family members should not be put under that pressure when their loved ones are in need of blood.

At present, between two and 2.5 per cent of the adult population needs to become blood donors, in order for Guyana to meet its demands.
Mangal stressed the need for regular donors to donate at least two times a year and become a multiple donor and support the Good Samaritan Programme.
This is the country’s flagship programme designed to encourage all adult Guyanese to become blood donors. It is a programme that allows each Guyanese to contribute to saving lives.
All voluntary givers are welcomed at all five sites nationwide: The NBTS headquarters in Georgetown, West Demerara Regional, New Amsterdam, Suddie and Linden hospitals.
People cannot give blood if they are pregnant; if they have a chesty cough, sore throat or active cold sore; if they have already given blood in the last 12 weeks; if they are taking antibiotics or have just finished; or if they have HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C.