KINGSTON, Jamaica — The two-day Lucozade/NBTS blood collection drive, which got under way Tuesday, is just below a half of the targeted 150 units of blood they hope to collect by the end of Wednesday.
Having closed out the first day of the blood drive at the Girl Guides Association on Waterloo Road in St Andrew, OBSERVER ONLINE was told that a total of 70 units of blood were collected.
One hundred and seventeen potential donors, most of them students from Immaculate Conception High School, Kingston Technical High School, St Georges’ College, and Kingston College, came out to give blood. Some were however deferred for various reasons, one of which was having a low blood count.
Marketing Manager Caribbean at GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer and distributor of Lucozade, Robeth Steele, told OBSERVER ONLINE, “I think we can be very proud that we have played a really good role in developing the custom for young people to give blood.
“As you know, many Jamaicans are scared of giving blood because there are a lot of myths surrounding it,” said Steele. “It’s absolutely Safe and healthy to do so.
“We have seen a lot of growth through the youths coming up from secondary schools, I think that is where the largest percentage of our growth has come from,” said Steele, who spearheaded the first blood drive some 10 years ago.
However, not all the potential donors were able to give blood.
“Another thing about the blood drive is that it helps you to be conscious of your health status so that you know what you have to do,” said Steele. “One of the more common causes why people are refused is because of their haemoglobin count, particularly women. So they have to pay particular attention to their… intake of iron — callaloo, liver — all the things that give iron.”
Steele said sometimes potential donors need to take vitamin C because sometimes they are taking the adequate amount of iron but their bodies are not absorbing it for whatever reason.
Having moved from 65 units of blood being collected in the first year to 190 units of blood last year, Steele said the turnout and interest on day one was very good and encouraging and overall went reasonably well.
The second day of the blood drive gets under way at 8:00 am on Wednesday.
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