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Photo: Blood Donors
By Charles Gladden
Belize City, Monday, June 17, 2024
Belize and the world recognize Friday, June 14 as World Blood Donor Day, which was established 20 years ago with the theme, “Celebrating 20 Years of Blood Donation: Thank You, Blood Donors!”
In Belize City, the Belize Diagnostic Center in the Kings Park area held a blood drive in conjunction with several health volunteer organizations.
“It’s a vital part of the health care system. There are situations where people who need medical attention may need a transfusion of blood or various whole blood products. So if we want to get these people back to health when they need it, we have to have blood donors. So there is no substitute for blood, human blood, and in order for us to get that blood, it’s either received by a replacement donor, someone who is donating on behalf of that patient, or by patients or volunteer donors who are just doing it because they are able to,” said Ronald Stuart, interim president of the Belize Voluntary Blood Donors Association.
According to Stewart, approximately 7,000 units of blood were collected; if a person donates blood four times a year, that would equate to 2 percent of the population of Belize, a very low number.
“Many people should have this conversation: ‘Do you have three to five available blood donors, do you need a transfusion?’ Many times, when there is no need, people do not think about the need. But when there is a need, they will ask for help from the public at large. So if we are to develop a system of 100 per cent voluntary blood donation, then this will become a thing of the past when you have to listen to requests from individuals or families for their relatives,” he said.
Stewart pointed out that type O blood is considered a universal blood type. However, people with this blood type (type O blood) can only receive blood from the same blood type, making it the smallest blood type in the world.
If someone wants to become a regular donor, they need to meet several requirements: they must be between the ages of 18 and 65, weigh at least 110 pounds, and not have any contagious health conditions.
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