Over 6,000 people donated blood through the Samoa Red Cross Society last year and the humanitarian organisation hopes more donors can step forward as it continues its blood drive this year.

Staff from the S.R.C.S. were at Fasitoo Uta on Sunday with the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa’s Fasitoo Uta hall becoming the venue for blood donors. 

S.R.C.S. Secretary General, Namaulauulu Tautala Mauala, told the Samoa Observer that they are working in partnership with the Ministry of Health (M.O.H.) to provide blood to the Tupua Tamasese Meaole National Hospital.

She said last year over 6,000 people donated blood and even more the previous year, though the demand is usually determined by the national hospital.

Emphasising the need for blood donors to become more proactive, Namaulauulu said donating blood ahead of a spike in demand gives laboratory staff enough time to conduct testing to ensure it is safe for transfusion.

Besides checking whether the blood group of a donor is compatible with that of a patient, she said they also test donated blood for sexually transmitted infections before it is vetted for hospital use. 

Blood donations also caters for the needs of National Kidney Foundation patients, hospital operations, accidents as well as mothers with newborn babies.

"We are also preparing for the COVID-19 pandemic," she added and these could include a public health crisis when there is an outbreak of a disease and demand for blood will increase.

Blood donors are also registered, according to Namaulauulu, as when a medical emergency occurs they have a list of donors who could go in at short notice to donate blood to an ailing patient. 

Other than blood donations the S.R.C.S. also use the opportunity to raise awareness on health issues which can lead to the contamination of blood.

Namaulauulu said their staff have skits which they use to do presentations on sexually transmitted infections as well as the prevention of COVID-19 infection.

This timetable of the S.R.C.S. blood drive team this month includes a visit to Faleasiu on 28 February and Saleimoa on 7 March. 

Highlighting the importance of their awareness message that people should prioritise their health, Namaulauulu said people can never know when they’ll end up in hospital and need blood for treatment.

"They need to make sure that they are healthy all the time because once they are sick and in the hospital they will surely need blood for treatment," she said.