There was a positive response to the blood drive at Taumeasina Island Resort, as the Samoa Red Cross Society and the Ministry of Health worked to address shortages at the national hospital’s blood bank. 

The blood drive, which started Tuesday at Taumeasina Island Resort, collected 12 donations on its opening day. The blood collections ran from 9 am until 3 pm.

“We’re accepting whatever blood type we can get,” said Aiolupotea Goretti Wulf, health coordinator for the Red Cross. “Whatever blood type the donors have is what we take. We’re not going by any specific blood type.”

Wulf said the blood collected is already being used at the hospital and stressed that continued donations are necessary to meet ongoing demand and prepare for emergencies.

“We never know, there might be an emergency, and the thing is that we have blood to cover that,” she said. “We try to hold these drives like every week if we can.”

Those present at Wednesday’s blood drive included one staff member from the Ministry of Health laboratory team and four representatives from the Samoa Red Cross Society.

Wulf explained that the Red Cross works closely with the Ministry’s laboratory team during each drive. However, she clarified that only the Ministry of Health staff are authorised to collect the blood.

“We cannot take the blood. It has to be them,” she said. “The only thing that the Red Cross do is recruit the donors and do other work, like taking blood pressures and health screening to make sure that our donors are good to go.”

She added that individuals with high blood pressure or other medical conditions are not eligible to donate. Women are also unable to give blood if they are pregnant, breastfeeding, or currently on their menstrual cycle.

Wulf said the initiative is helping to ease the critical shortage at the hospital, particularly amid concerns about rising dengue fever cases.

She noted that dengue cases are increasing again, raising fears of another critical situation at the hospital.

“Especially the dengue fever, it’s going up again. So that’s our fear now. We don’t want to get to that critical condition again.”

She emphasised that blood donation is a shared responsibility.

“It’s our work. We all work together. It’s not just the hospitals. It’s not just the families or the Red Cross. This is work for all people in Samoa,” she said. “We can’t say that I only want to donate to my family. Sometimes your blood could be different from your family, and who you’re going to get blood from is the public that you’re going to turn to.”

She thanked Tuiataga Nathan Bucknall, Taumeasina Island Resort General Manager, saying he strongly encouraged his staff, friends and partners to support the blood drive. She said several staff members have already donated, with others coming in during their work breaks, and more are expected to take part.

Anthony Wulf, the 13th donor at Wednesday’s midday blood drive, said he gave blood to support those in need and because the blood bank was running low. He added that a friend’s decision to donate inspired him to participate.

He urged others to consider donating as well.

“To donate, you know, when people are in need,  and this is us as human beings, we have to help each other in times of need,  especially blood, you know, we can't just get blood from somewhere else,  it comes from other human beings.”

The next blood drives will be held on Thursday at the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) from 9 am to 3 pm. Additional drives were scheduled at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Motootua on Saturday at 8 am, and next Friday at the Samoa Water Authority at 9 am, depending on arrangements with workplaces