Awareness helps bring more blood donors, nurse says

AWARENESS about the importance of donating blood often results in a good turnout at the time of donation, a nurse says.
The Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) Sir Brian Bell Centre for transfusion medicine blood bank team conducted an information session for the Pacific Star Ltd (PSL) last Thursday in preparation for the donation yesterday.
Assistant manager of the blood bank Sr Rose Naliwi said a good number of PSL staff turned up to make the donation.
She said when people understood the importance of donating blood, they came forward so it was important that awareness programmes were supported.
She said the team from the blood bank was always ready to conduct awareness to encourage volunteers.
“We get a lot of people coming in as family replacements to donate blood for their family members who are admitted at the hospital,” Naliwi said.
“However we do not get a lot of volunteer donors at the hospital.
“It is through schools and corporate blood drives like this that we get a lot of volunteers.”
Naliwi said the blood bank staff working really hard to encourage more people to become a regular volunteer donors.
She said the Brian Bell Foundation had come up with an initiative to provide incentives for everyone who donated blood and that included receiving a facemask, a singlet and a handkerchief .
The National reporter Dale Luma, who donated blood for the fifth time yesterday, encouraged everyone to donate blood as well because it was a healthy practice.
“It is also important because a bag of blood can save a life or a couple of lives,” he said.
“Knowing that my blood can save a life, I will try to keep fit and healthy so that I can donate blood (regularly).”