Expert Urges Care For Blood Donors

Consultant
haematologist, Dr Hannah Omunakwe, has said that care for voluntary blood donors has remained one of the biggest factors of motivation among donors thereby, building up the blood banks for an ever needed blood transfusion cases.
Omunakwe stated this while delivering a lecture on the topic “Donor Health and the Quality of Donor Care as Critical Factors in Building Donor Commitment” at the 2016 World Blood Donor Day commemoration by the Rivers State Government in partnership with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Goals Office, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Omunakwe who is also the Head of Department (HOD), Pathology, Braithwaite Memorial  Specialist  Hospital (BMSH) revealed that Nigeria has less than 25 percent voluntary blood donor statistics compared to most developing African countries adding that the situation was due largely to the uncaring attitude of blood bank services to donors.
“America has up to go 100 percent voluntary blood donors. This is not achieved in the empty. They did more  of evencaring for the donors. The quality of care builds the donor system up to 75 – 100 percent. When you don’t care for the donor, he may not likely come back. Intentionally care for him/her and you see the number increasing and the blood bank having sufficient blood to meet up its blood transfusion needs”, Omunakwe said.
While regretting that Nigeria lacks a donor management system, Omunakwe recommended that the government ensured the highest levels of donor care to be put in place through legislative provisions.
This she said would not only improve donation practices but also improve the care for donors by having clear lines of referral for donors that are deferred from donation.
While noting that the state of health of a donor was a major consideration in blood donation, the Haematologist advised however that a high level of confidentiality be maintained by the medical personnel to boost the confidence and trust of donors.
Omunakwe revealed that the donation practices of the BMSH has been more of family replacement stating however that the situation was gradually turning around.
She called on the people to make themselves voluntary donors to save the lives of not only their relations but others as well, geared towards achieving a healthy state for everyone in the state and beyond.

Lady Godknows Ogbulu