The US Embassy in Georgetown partnered with the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), more commonly referred to as the ‘blood bank’ and the Public Health Ministry to conduct a blood drive earlier this week.
The NBTS relies on blood donations from public-spirited individuals and organisations to ensure that safe blood is available, particularly when blood transfusions may be the only viable option to save a life.
This kind gentleman took time out of his busy day to donate blood as part of the US Embassy’s blood drive
Embassy staff, as well as officials from other diplomatic missions and international organisations, donated a record 54 units of blood in this 14th year of partnership.
A contributing factor to the success of this relationship has been an increased commitment to the development of an adequate, safe supply of blood for the people of Guyana.
Over the past decade, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided technical support to the Public Health Ministry on blood safety activities in order to enhance blood collection procedures and policies, recruit and retain low-risk blood donors, and ensure 100 per cent testing of all donated blood units for HIV and other transfusion-transmissible infections.
The US Embassy looks forward to continued collaboration with key stakeholders to help Guyana achieve the goal of having a sufficient blood bank to meet its projected national need.
