Cotton Tree drive nets 50 units blood

Fifty units of blood were collected at a donation drive, organized by the Guyana International Relief Organization (GIRO) recently at Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice.

GIRO, an arm of the Guyana Islamic Trust, teamed up with members of the D’ Edward and Rosignol Mandirs as well as the Assemblies of God Church at No. 12 Village to recruit donors.

The drive was held at Dhanan Gas Station and was organized to assist with the short supply of blood at the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS).

Persons donating blood

Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy was present at the exercise and commended persons for coming out to donate.
Over 100 potential donors pledged their names on forms that were circulating around villages but on the day of the drive about 75 persons – some donating for the first time -turned out.

Others had to be dissuaded because they had not qualified at the time.
A donor must be over the age of 17, weigh more than 110 pounds and have a high iron level. National Coordinator of the NBTS Shameeza Mangal thanked the donors and collaborators who contributed to the blood drive and said she was happy with the community participation.

The first blood drive in West Berbice was held by GIRO in April last.

Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy speaking to blood donors

This was followed by other drives, including one by the Blairmont Estate.
In an interview, Dr. Ramsammy told Stabroek News that there have also been requests from other groups to organize more blood drives. He was pleased with the work by collaborators from all the religious groups who have played a significant role.

Accompanying the minister were the lead consultant for substance abuse, Dr. Lindsay George and Dr. Bianca Horner, consultant for mental illnesses who were both witnessing such an exercise for the first time.

Dr. George who is developing group and individual programmes to “train the trainers” said “what strikes me is the community effort.” “It is remarkable that someone came out on a Sunday to donate blood.

Everybody is really enthusiastic about giving and that is really nice.”
Dr. Horner who is in Guyana to put in place development and training programmes for common mental illnesses said she was “fascinated. It allows access to the people who cannot get to the blood bank.”

On that note, she said it “increases the capacity for the community to donate blood; I am quite impressed with the effort and collaboration.” Minister Ramsammy was confident that Guyana can achieve a 100% voluntary donation programme because “citizens are very generous” but said they first need to develop the culture.

According to him in the late 1990s to 2000 the ministry was collecting around 2,500 units of blood which represented 25% and 30% of the 8,000 units that was needed.

Blood Donors

He said that while they have reached that target the health sector has also developed more in terms of doing more surgeries, new types of surgeries and is making more diagnoses around the country.

There is need now for the collection of 12,000 units of blood and the minister is confident that by 2012 the ministry would reach that target.

He also said that because of the community blood drives they are trying to avoid people going through the “trauma” of donating only when their relatives are in need.

Presently there are about 20 groups that hold blood drives and the minister said his goal is to increase that to 50 by next year.