Shootings, stabbings, domestic violence, road accidents, hemorrhaging during child birth, dialysis and the list can go on, are all connected.
All these tragic usually sudden events require one precious resource to produce
miraculous lifesaving outcomes for the victims. Blood connects them all.
Blood is at the heart of the healing treatment required to save lives on a
daily basis in a hospital setting. As the world prepares to celebrate and
recognize the invaluable contribution of blood donors on “World Blood Donor
Day” June 14th, the St. Lucia Blood Bank heightens its appeal for persons
to donate blood to help replenish their constantly depleting blood supply.
Medical Technologist at the St. Lucia Blood Bank, Karen Louis explained the
procedure a donor goes through before blood can be accepted.
“Giving blood we say are the 3 S’s. It’s Safe, it’s Simple, and it Saves
lives. So when you come in that’s the simple part. We take your
demographics, your name, age, date of birth. We go into the most crucial
part which is your interview part but before that we check to see if you
have enough blood to give. We give you a slight prick on your finger, take
a drop of blood and drop it in our solution. If it sinks to the bottom in
10 seconds or less that means you’re eligible to become a blood donor. Our
interview segment, we need to ask you a few questions about your health and
life style. We need to get an overall picture of the blood donor. If you’re
accepted then we go into the fun part, the part when you save a life. You
go onto our chair, you have your professional staff in a clean well
ventilated environment and we withdraw the unit of blood so it’s Safe, it’s
Simple and it saves lives.”
This year the St. Lucia Blood Bank has teamed up the Bureau of Health
Education to heighten awareness and encourage persons to donate blood. In
keeping with this thrust public education and sensitization product such as
testimonials from recipients, a panel discussion, public service
announcements, community outreach sessions and posters are among the
communication techniques being employed.
The Medical Technologist stressed that giving blood is everyone’s business
the message is for the community to get involved not simple an individual.
“Especially during world blood donor day we want to thank our voluntary
unpaid donors for the life saving gift of blood that they have given. That
unit of blood can help persons in maternal and child care, massive trauma
and injuries, patients going through dialysis, cancer patients, patients
going through amputations, our diabetic patients. That one unit of blood
can help save up to three lives and especially during World Blood Donor Day
we want to encourage persons to continue to give blood.”
The Blood Bank hopes to motive persons who have never donated blood before
to become blood donors. Louis stated if someone donates blood from age 17
-70 one would have donated 159 times and these units of blood separated
into three components could actually save 477 lives.
“The need for blood is all year round we definitely encourage St. Lucians
to come an give blood especially during this time. Carnival is coming up
and this is our low period. So we want person to deposit their gift of life
before the carnival and the festive season begins. A blood transfusion may
arise at any point in time, at 10 in the morning or 10 at night and we need
to make sure that we have all blood types so that if the situation arises
we have an adequate, safe blood supply to provide to patients in need.”
During our visit to the St. Lucia Blood Bank we met Mr. Martin Paul, a
first time blood donor, who felt motivated to donate blood to his sick
brother who disparately requires a blood transfusion. He had a simple
message to anyone who would listen.
“I am trying to save a life. I would like people to do the same. Try to
save somebody’s life even if it’s not your brother, try to save another
person’s life. Everyone can make a contribution and give blood. I will
return in September to give blood again.”
World Donor Day 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 voluntary live saving gifts of blood. The theme for this year’s
World Blood Donor Day is *”Blood connects us all, share life, give blood.”*
