Hospital needs blood

By LULU MARK
BLOOD donation received at Port Moresby General Hospital’s (PMGH) Sir Brian Bell Centre is lower than expected with hopes of donation increasing this year, a doctor says.
PMGH director of medical services Dr Kone Sobi said blood and blood products could not be manufactured nor imported so availability was dependent on donors.
“As we walk around and do things that we do, we must also remember that we carry a precious commodity and that’s blood,” he said.
“Over the last two years with the Covid-19 we have been really challenged.
“We have been getting lower than expected.
“PMGH would normally get about 10,000 donations every year but in the last two the donations were lower than expected and that was not surprising because of the restrictions imposed as a result of theCovid-19.
“We are starting to open up – business houses, organisations schools and institutions are opening up so we are looking at increasing the supply of blood donation to the hospital.
“Remember it requires a lot of resources but the donation of blood itself, the act of donation is really free and no one charges organisations or hospitals for going and giving their blood.
“We just want to encourage people to come and give blood even if you don’t have a relative in the hospital.”