Christmas donation - JGRA organises blood drive

In Jamaica the Christmas season usually sees a spike in motor-vehicle accidents, thus putting a strain on the centralised blood supply service as well as hospitals islandwide.

With that in mind, the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association (JGRA), in partnership with the Blood Bank), recently hosted a blood drive at the Braeton Seventh-day Adventist Church in Portmore, St Catherine.

The need is pressing year-round. Keishawna Pinnock, an assistant blood donor organiser at the Blood Bank, pointed out that "every year the estimated requirement to cater to the needs of Jamaicans is 60,000 units. Each donor can donate only one unit every three months. Blood can neither be manufactured nor reproduced. It is a priceless commodity that can only be given by charitable persons."

The JGRA's blood drive was met with obstacles, as nearly half of those registered to donate blood were not able to do so. According to Pinnock, some persons needed time for toxic substances to leave their system. Others were rejected for health reasons, such as being anaemic.

Pinnock said "many Jamaicans rallied to the cause, but it was noted that there was a high deferral rate. This is largely due in part to persons not being aware of pre-donor requirements. Nutrition plays a large part in the donation process. There were many noted cases of low iron levels and, in its extremity, cases of anaemia".

In addition, she noted, "smokers must also defer from donating for three days (after last smoking). Persons with tattoos are allowed to donate after one year of getting a tattoo. This is also the case for piercings on the body."

However, there is a common misperception that persons who are either hypertensive or diabetic (non-dependent on insulin) are not allowed to donate blood. This is not the case and, even if they take oral medication, in many cases these persons are still eligible for blood donation.

And Pinnock emphasised how easy it is to participate in the blood donation process. Donors must be between the ages of 17 and 60 years old, weigh over 110 lbs (50 kilos), be relatively healthy and present identification when making the donation..

Speaking directly to the recent blood drive, Pinnock said "the JGRA will be sure to do its part in securing and strengthening the nation's future and urges every Jamaican to take part in this life-saving activity".

Regardless of the challenges, Sandra Kenny, chairman of the Road Safety Committee of the JGRA, was pleased with the day's work. "We had some challenges. However, I thought it was a day well spent for us," she said. "We saw persons come in to give blood for this worthy cause."

"We had a very good turnout, even though we had some persons that weren't able to give blood, and for that I was disappointed."

It is not a one-off activity, as Kenny said "this is the first of three blood drives for my committee".

She also thanked the Blood Bank for facilitating the drive and the Braeton Police Youth Club for their support. "I'm happy that the Braeton club came on board; they are within the community and they went out and got prospective donors and we are thankful for the support," Kenny said.

Also giving their support to the initiative were Bobby Hammond, third vice-president of the JGRA, Trevor Barnes, a JGRA past president, and Dwight Robinson, a member of the organisation.