World Blood Donor Day 2018 - ‘If only 1% of the local population donated blood, we would not have any scarcity of blood’ |22 June 2018
June 14 marked World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) 2018, with the theme ‘Be there for someone else. Give blood share life’. WBDD is a worldwide celebration to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors, and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations, to ensure quality, safety and availability of blood / blood products which help save millions of lives each year.
This was said by Prosper Kinabo, chief of Clinical Laboratory Services and Emmanuel Doss, head of Blood Transfusion Centre (BTC), who are responsible for collection and screening of blood samples at the Health Care Agency.
They stress on the importance of blood which is used by all units of the hospital, e.g. in cases of emergency like road traffic accidents (RTA), for certain medical conditions like cancer, in cases of complex medical and surgical procedures, or for childbirth problems.
Some patients, e.g. dialysis patients, those with low haemoglobin levels or anaemic patients also need blood for correction of their blood volume.
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Seychelles Hospital alone takes about 24.22% of all blood collected due to the high proportion of patients that are transferred to this unit for stabilisation. Some patients in the ICU can often require more blood if their condition worsens. The female and medical surgical wards follow the ICU, taking approximately 23.2% of all blood collected.
According to 2016 - 2017 statistics from the ministry, there is a shortage of donors in Seychelles and as a result, the hospital does not have enough stock of blood donations, since 3,500 units are required for the country, and there are around 1,500 blood donors per year.
“The hospital needs more donors to come forward as blood requirements have increased over the years in Seychelles due to the pattern of diseases and transfusion cases. The demand for blood fluctuates and it is more than the supply,” explains Mr Kinabo.
He adds that it has become challenging for blood services to encourage people, especially the youth, to donate blood for various reasons. There seems to be a feeling that blood should be donated to people we actually know. Some are also frightened of needles, of their blood not being accepted, or that the process will somehow affect their bodies.
Mr Doss explains that in fact, giving blood activates the bone marrow where blood is made, and this generates new cells, which in turn can help fight against certain conditions developing in the body.
Should anyone want to donate blood, they are advised to go to the Blood Transfusion Centre (BTC) at the Seychelles Hospital, where they can be assisted. To be eligible for donating blood, one must be generally in good health. Males can donate blood every 3 months, while females can donate every 4 months.
Criteria for donating blood
It is to be noted that although most people are potentially able to give blood, some are not. There are a variety of reasons why you might be asked not to give blood:
1. If evidence suggests that donating blood could potentially harm you, then to protect your safety, you would be asked not to donate.
2. If evidence suggests that donating blood could potentially harm the patient receiving it, then you would be asked not to donate.
The following assessment is done to ensure safety of donors and the safety of blood to patients:
• Full length donor history, e.g. hemoglobin, HBP, cold & flu, diabetes, cancer, medication, hepatitis, and HIV risk, etc.
• People who have recently travelled abroad in any country may be excluded because they are at risk for transmitting agents such as malaria. (Travelled within the past 4 months for business or a holiday).
• Age: 18 – 60 years (or DOB).
• Weight: >50kg.
• Intravenous drug abusers are excluded.
• Taking a course or completed a course of antibiotics in the past 7 days.
• Piercing, tattoo or any skin piercing in the past 4 months.
Diet: A breakfast or a meal is recommended at least two to four hours to donation.
Mr Kinabo reminds the public that it is important for everyone to know their blood group, and to start taking the necessary steps to donate blood. On behalf of the Health Care Agency, he also encourages those who have ceased to donate, or whose contact details have changed, to continue donating blood.
He adds that “If only 1% of the local population donated blood, we would not have any scarcity of blood. Blood donation is a life-saving act; anyone who gives blood is recognised for their selfless act, and they can have the satisfaction of knowing that just one of their blood donations will help to save the lives of 3 other people.”