Tobago blood bank needs more donations again

Scarborough General Hospital’s Medical Chief of Staff Dr Victor Wheeler is asking the public to donate more blood.

Three weeks ago Wheeler said the island requires approximately 3,000 units of blood annually.

But this year blood donations in Tobago have dropped by almost 75 per cent as a result of the covid19 pandemic, and the blood bank only receives two to three pints per day. Usually, it would get ten-12 pints per day.

On Tuesday afternoon at the Division of Health Wellness and Family Development press conference, Wheeler said there had been an overwhelming response, as the hospital received several blood donations after his call for more donors in early November.

But donations have dropped significantly again.

He said, “Over the past week we have seen a fall of persons coming to give blood and as a result, the levels are running low again.”

He said elective surgery stopped on Tuesday and would resume in January 2021. He now hopes until then, donors will come forward so that the shortage doesn’t affect patients who may need blood before they can have surgery.

“All the surgeries that will be done from now until the New Year would be emergency surgeries. As a result of that there is no issue of elective surgeries being affected, “he said.

The division is running a blood donation campaign until December 31.