Guyanese singer Timeka Marshall on Thursday led a blood donation drive organised through the Health Ministry’s National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) and the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC).
The initiative, which was conducted at the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN), was organised in an effort to fill the need which currently exists for safe and effective blood for transfusions.
Timeka Marshall donating blood on Thursday
Speaking at the event, donor attendant Trinese Miller encouraged members of the public to donate while noting that the public’s response was dim.
She nevertheless assured the public that the process is simple and just requires answers to few questions.
Donor attendant Cassie Jordan noted, too, that persons might be skeptical about donating during the pandemic, but assured that the process is safe.
“Why we’re doing this blood donation today is because, as you know, we’re in need of blood. There’s a pandemic going on…accidents…pregnant mothers, children with cancer…and your one donation not only saves one person, but it saves three lives…. At the end of the day, you feel good about donating your one unit of blood”, she said.
Miller noted there are also benefits to persons donating blood.
“For people that donating the blood, some of them may trouble (be suffering) from high blood pressure, so that helps to regulate the pressure, and it helps with cholesterol and calories”, she said.
She added that it also replenishes red blood cells, which decrease your chances of having a heart attack, as she also reassured that donating blood during the pandemic is safe.
“We would’ve liked to see more persons (donating blood) …donating during the pandemic is safe…We’re following all the COVID guidelines. We sanitise after a person is finished donating. We wear our masks, we also encourage the persons that are coming to donate to wear their masks and sanitize as well”, Miller said.
The initiative is expected to be hosted regularly. Meanwhile, Marshall noted that it was her first-time donating blood, and that she was proud to have contributed to the process of saving a life. She also emphasised that the process was quite simple.
“As humans, we may, at some point in our lives, go through something where we may be in need of blood, and we’ve all heard about blood shortage. At least for me, if I ever was in need, I would love for there to be enough blood to help save my life… It’s definitely something I would love to do a lot more in the future”, the songstress said.
