Hospital needs 350 bags of blood weekly: Nurse

By OGIA MIAMEL
PORT Moresby General Hospital needs about 350 bags of blood a week, says the hospital’s blood bank manager Sr Damaris Penias.
“We need a lot of blood in the hospital, and those who need blood most are those who have been involved in accidents,” she said.
“They come to the emergency ward – those are trauma cases from all types of injuries like after a car accident or  knife wounds.
“We have pregnant women who need   blood, children with chronic illnesses. We make sure there is blood reserved for these children.
“Blood is required for patients undergoing surgery.”
Penias said people who donated blood benefitted from having free health tests such as blood sugar, haemoglobin count, blood pressure and become aware of their blood type.
“We know that this blood is life so by donating a bag of blood, you are not  saving just one life. If your blood is separated into three components like the plasma, red cells and platelets, you know that your one bag of blood is able to save up to three lives,” she said.
“Port Moresby General Hospital is one of the biggest hospitals in the country and as a referral hospital, we receive patients from all over the country, and so the demand for blood has increased over the years.
“We appeal to the public to donate blood so that we are able to maintain our supply .”