BARBADIANS CONTINUE to shy away from donating blood.
As a result, the country’s Blood Collection Centre is finding it difficult to reach its target of receiving 5 000 pints of the precious liquid every year.
And according to a senior blood collecting official, the problem is exacerbated by an increase in violent crimes, which are placing a heavy burden on the surgical departments of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
If that wasn’t enough, many Barbadians still don’t become blood donors because all samples are tested for infectious diseases, and many still are not willing to know their HIV status.
The SUNDAY SUN understands that just 3 794 blood donations (as of September 30) had been made for 2016, and that is on course to be the lowest in the last three years.
Two weeks ago, the Blood Collection Centre made an urgent call for blood donors to come forward, after its reserves (which only last for 35 days) had reached dangerously low levels.
Senior blood collection technician at the Centre, Anderlene Sealy, said she has not seen it this bad in recent times.
“When the appeal was made recently stocks were at a very low level,” Sealy admitted.
“There are periods of lean times and then it isn’t as bad, but lately we haven’t been seeing enough donors at all. The day after we made the urgent appeal we had about 15 persons come in. But we were hoping to have seen more than 50.”
Sealy noted that with increased incidences of cancer, motor vehicle accidents and violent crimes like shootings and stabbings, depletion of the Blood Bank’s reserves were constantly on a downward trajectory.
“The donor population in Barbados is really not at the level we would prefer. We mostly get persons coming to give blood for relatives or friends, but what we really need is a voluntary population where they are just making donations, which allows us to keep the blood bank in good supply.”
According to Sealy, numbers are further reduced because of a prevalence among the younger generation to have tattoos, piercings or acupuncture. Persons who have done these procedures have to wait six months to give blood.
“We also have a situation where many people have opted not to come forward and give blood because they are drug users, usually marijuana smokers. That is the age group we should really be targeting, but unfortunately they are involved in this practice,” Sealy added.
The senior health official said the centre, in an attempt to attract more blood donors, had been forced to expand their age range.
Previously, persons between 18 and 65 could give blood, but now the scale has been increased to include persons as young as 17, and as old as 70. “We want to grab a wider section of the population. In terms of Barbados we are now in a situation where persons want to receive (blood) if they or their families need it, but they are not so concerned about giving. We have had situations where ten or 12 persons came to give blood for a relative, but for medical reasons they were rejected, so then we still have to rely on the regulars who simply come to donate blood.”
She said it was the centre’s hope that eventually their donor population would be 100 per cent voluntary, and not just persons hoping to assist sick relatives.
Sealy noted that public service announcements and even mobile units going around to collect blood donations had also failed to increase donor numbers. “We have had situations where we went on the road, and just two or three persons give blood. But what we have noticed is that social media is playing a part in getting people involved. If this can be extended to the wider public, I’m sure more donors would come forward.” (BA)
