by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The Ministry of Health and the Executive Management Committee at the Joseph N. France General Hospital are encouraging members of the public to donate blood to the Blood Bank.
A written statement from the Ministry of Health issued on Monday, January 16, confirmed the authority’s decision, which seeks to ensure quality patient care to citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis.
According to the statement, “The Blood Bank of the JNF Hospital will be accepting blood donations from suitable donors during the regular working hours of 8 am to 4 pm. However, the hospital wishes to inform the public that in cases of emergency, no suitable donor would be rejected at any time.”
“We wish to further announce that going forward, all persons who are scheduled to do elective surgical procedures at the JNF Hospital that are deemed to be procedures with a large expected blood loss will now be asked to provide suitable blood donors at least three days prior to the procedure. This will help to allow the hospital’s other blood donation reserves to be used for emergencies only,” the statement read.
In recent times, social media has been buzzing with conversations about blood donations and the need to have an adequate blood supply in the Blood Bank, especially for emergencies. The JNF Executive Committee said it appreciates the “words of advice” from the public.
In this regard, a decision was made to establish functional laboratories at the Pogson Hospital in Sandy Point and the Mary Charles Hospital in Molyneaux. The laboratories at those facilities will be used for emergency tests and essential blood and urine tests.
The JNF Executive Committee suggests that the medical staff at the JNF Hospital would be able to focus on the more severe cases once the Pogson and Mary Charles Hospital are outfitted with the necessary medical equipment and services.
Following a recent visit to the Blood Bank and other departments at the JNF Hospital, the Prime Minister of St.Kitts and Nevis, Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew said, “the Ministry of Health is working ardently to address the public’s concerns and advance our healthcare sector.”
