HOSPITAL CALLS FOR VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONATION FROM PUBLIC
The National Referral Hospital in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Photo: Courtesy of electives.net
The National Referral Hospital continues to call on the public for urgent blood donations as supplies hit critically low levels.
The Medical Laboratory today says the blood bank is still very short and they encourage volunteers to donate blood throughout the week.
Head of the Medical Laboratory Donald Tahani says they are currently relying on relatives of patients to donate blood but prefers volunteers from the public.
“Ideally we would like volunteer donors to come. We would like volunteers donors because volunteers donors are volunteer so the blood is not restricted to relative only so it is freely available for emergencies or anyone who needs blood. Relatives we know Solomon custom, you give blood for your father you expect a lot, and when he does not go out issues come up. So those are some challenges we face with wantok system.”
The hospital’s blood bank was suddenly cut short after the Solomon Islands Red Cross temporarily suspended its program as the hospital’s main blood collector.