decline in blood donations P

14 MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM NEWS J ust five days after collaborating with the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to put public hand washing stations at the Stabroek Market Square to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Rotary Club of Georgetown announced that they have collaborated with several businesses to launch the “Community COVID-19 Initiative.”

According to the Rotary Club, the objective is to lend a helping hand to the Public Health Ministry to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative will be implemented with guidance from The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), which are recognised as leading global experts.

Moreover, the initiative seeks to focus on expanding an effective multimedia campaign that will keep the public educated using credible information.

That information will be taken from PAHO/WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ministry of Public Health.

The organisation further stated that it will raise funds for the procurement of medical supplies for healthcare providers to meet the anticipated need.

After the fundraising, the supplies that were achieved during that period will be given to the health authorities.

“These will be given with monetary support from the business community, the initiative will seek to assist with the procurement of critical medical supplies,” the statement read.

In a release, the club said that the initiative acknowledges PAHO’s technical expertise and its important supportive role in Guyana’s healthcare system.

“To date, the Community COVID-19 Initiative has identified medical supply needs from the Ministry of Public Health and Mercy Hospital. They are also communicating with other healthcare facilities to identify their medical supply needs at this time,” the release said. The aim of the Community COVID-19 Initiative for their multimedia campaign is to bring awareness to the general public to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

“Through multimedia platforms, the initiative will be sharing informative messages, videos and flyers to reach as many Guyanese as possible. All of these messages that will be shared with our fellow Guyanese on COVID-19 will be based on credible information published by the Ministry, PAHO/WHO, and CDC,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, its aim is to gain as much support from other businesses and they are welcoming all concerned citizens of Guyana to join the fight against COVID-19. Rotary Guyana continues to collaborate to combat COVID-19 The sinks set up at Stabroek Market

As the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to affect the many facets of everyday life, the virus has also impacted the flow of blood donation to the National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS).

The year 2020 started exceptionally well for the blood bank, but as fears and confirmation of the COVID-19 cases locally became a reality, the blood bank noticed a significant decrease in blood donations.

Director of NBTS, Doctor Pedro Lewis is urging persons to donate blood. According to the doctor, there is no evidence to support that COVID-19 can be transferred via blood. “Persons ask if the immune system will be affected by donating blood and the question is no. There is no evidence pointing out that persons can get this virus through blood donation. We know the hospitals, the patients, everybody is depending on our voluntary donors for blood.”

However, for people who will be receiving blood transfusions, they too are being ensured that every precautionary measure is being taken to ensure that safe blood is obtained.

“Just like every ordinary respiratory illness, we always screen our donors. We asked questions about coughing, we ask questions about fever if that person is taking medications for their illnesses so that we can defer donors who come here with fever. Another problem that is facing a lot of blood banks too is that most of the persons with COVID-19 are symptomatic.

Lewis further stated that unless persons donate blood, the blood bank can quickly become depleted.

“Our stock will run down because for the past two weeks we have barely had two or three persons coming and donating; this is countrywide. We are talking about Region Six, 10, Two and Three. This is the reason I am appealing to people not to be scared. You can still come and donate”, he urged.

Meanwhile, the process of blood transfusion takes about 15 minutes, and a unit of blood can only be kept for 35 days, after which it must be disposed of. NBTS records decline in blood donations Director of NBTS, Dr Pedro Lewis

GPHC staff who were exposed to COVID-19 cleared

The doctors and nurses at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation who were quarantined after they came into contact with Guyana’s first COVID-19 patient have been deemed coronavirus-free.

This is according to Manager/Head of Strategic Planning and Communication, Chelauna Providence during an engagement with the media.

“We did have some staff in isolation who had come in contact with the patient, all of those staff members are cleared to return to work, they were isolated, observed, tested and they all have been cleared to return to work,” Providence stated. Providence also stated that the families of these doctors and nurses have mounted concerns about them returning home. Berbice family In addition, the Alness family of four of East Berbice-Corentyne, that was requested to self-isolate after it was discovered that they travelled on the same flight as the first COVID-19 victim, was also deemed coronavirus-free.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Director of Regional Health Services, Region Six, Jevaughn Stephen stated that “they are no longer on quarantine.”

It was reported to health authorities in that region, that the family was on the same flight as the first victim, as such, a team of medical professionals was deployed to the family where it was confirmed and they were asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

Stephen stated that they have not shown any symptoms of COVID-19.

As of Saturday, Guyana recorded three new cases of the deadly virus, raising the country’s total number to eight.

Caretaker Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence stated that while the number of deaths remains at one, some 32 persons have been subjected to institutional quarantine and six isolated.

Globally, the number of confirmed cases from 201 countries and territories stands at 621,636 with a total death of 28,658. In the region of the Americas, the total number of confirmed cases climbed from 81,139 to 100,314 with the number of deaths moving at a rapid rate from 1176 to 1485. (Shemar Alleyne) Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation