Ministry of Public Health commits to enhance and improve the blood service
DPI/GINA, GUYANA, Wednesday, June 14, 2017.
The Ministry of Public Health will continue to work diligently to enhance and improve the quality of service offered at the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS).
(fromleft to right) Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Karen Cummings, Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) representative Dr. William Adu-Krow and Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence cutting cake in commemoration of the World Blood Donor Day
This was highlighted on Wednesday by the Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Karen Cummings during the “World Blood Donor Day” award ceremony held at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
In her feature address, Minister Cummings explained that over the years with the use of modern technology, NBTS has improved its capacity through screening and preparing blood and blood products.
She noted that the Ministry recently received support from the Government of Argentina towards improving the NBTS’s staff knowledge, skills and efficiency through training from a capacity building programme.
The Minister said that, “blood donations are an essential and vital component of the public healthcare system since it is relied on to carry out life-saving surgical interventions”.
Minister Cummings stressed that donating blood helps to reduce the risk of
Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Karen Cummings
cancer which preserves cardiovascular health and also helps in losing weight. She noted that donors will also benefit from free health screening since the blood sample will be tested for various diseases.
The Minister highlighted that the World Blood Donor Day theme, “What can you do? Give Blood. Give Now. Give Often” is a strong call for persons to commit to donating blood and to do so frequently. The NBTS recorded over 10,000 units of donated blood for 2017.
Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) representative Dr. William Adu-Krow said that blood is an important resource that can help to treat accident emergency patients. He noted that recipients from blood donation need to speak about their experience with the hopes that their experience will encourage more persons to donate blood.
The PAHO/WHO representative said that during 2008-2012, 80 per cent of maternal deaths were due to hemorrhage, which could have been avoided.
World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) was established in 2004 and serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
By: Neola Damon