“Between the blood banks in The Bahamas we collect [fewer] than 5,000 units of blood a year,” said Carolyn Azikiwe, supervisor at the PMH blood bank. “So in order for us to increase blood donations we need to move to voluntary blood donations.”
Minister of Health Dr. Bernard Nottage announced on Monday that a national blood centre would be established by March 2007 in line with recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on National Health Insurance.
Officials said that the blood centre would provide centralized screening for efficiency, accuracy and standardization. It will also be more cost effective in ensuring adequate supplies for patients.
“The function of the National Blood Centre is to promote and develop a national blood donor programme because we donﾒt have that in place yet,” Mrs. Azikiwe explained. “We will have blood donation on a weekly or daily basis. We will do whatever is needed to promote blood donation.”
One of the reasons the blood bank at PMH is often at a critical level is because blood stored after 35 days is no longer usable, she said.
“It is difficult for the hospitals to have the required amount of blood on hand because often blood donors only come in to donate blood for family members,” she added.
According to Mrs. Azikiwe, one of the benefits of the national blood centre is that donors will not have to wait until a family member donates blood in order to receive blood. The blood will be there at health professionalsﾒ disposal.
In addition, the new blood centre will provide comfort, ambiance and confidentiality, she assured.
“The overall establishment of a national blood centre will provide timely access to blood and blood components to patients in need of blood transfusions. This will also lead to increased availability of bed space due to shorter hospital stays,” Mrs. Azikiwe said.
“This centre is long overdue. Currently, the hospital receives a few pints of blood a day and we have already outgrown the present space available at PMH.”
There are three blood banks in The Bahamas: PMH, the Rand Memorial Hospital, and Doctors Hospital.
Dr. Nottage said other recommendations to improve healthcare in The Bahamas are being considered as well.
Those improvements include a new hospital in Grand Bahama to replace the Rand Memorial, and a new child and adolescent unit at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.
Dr. Nottage said other short and long-term options are also being considered in respect to PMH.
By: Bianca Symonette, The Bahama Journal
