By Chris Elliott…….
The British expatriates in Northern Cyprus are very familiar with Blood doning days arranged in their community mainly by the British Residents’ Society but I decided to take perhaps an outside view of our community of blood doning in the TRNC by visiting the Girne American University Medical Centre on 21st December 2016 on the occasion of their first of two Blood Doning days under their campaign “You Can Help Save Someone’s Life”. When I arrived 3 young lads from the GAU Marine School had arrived and 2 of them were making a donation of much needed blood.
I was delighted to meet again Pembe Cansever the GAU medical centre nurse who I met previously when we visited the centre in the past to talk about the GAU Flying Angels community care group. From the Lefkosa State Hospital Blood Bank were Chemist, Suat Kesin and his nurse Saliha Aksoy who were making the donors welcome and taking the donations of blood.
I have written and helped many blood donation events in the past and there is always an ongoing need for blood donations for the State Blood Bank and in emergencies Bayrak International Radio DJ’s and other people through social media and also an SMS Emergency Alert system make requests for specific donations when the blood bank cannot provide the blood type needed.
From what I can understand the Blood Bank have a long term target of 17,000 units of blood required a year and this year it would seem around 12,000 will have been donated.
For those local readers who may wish to make a blood donation, Girne American University have a further Blood Donation Day at their medical centre on Friday 23rd December from 10..00am to 14.00pm.
For those local readers that wish to register as emergency donors on the “Save a Life, Give Life” scheme, please text 0542 880 0112 and give your blood group and local hospital. To read more of this scheme please click here
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Please note this “Save a Life, Give Life” system is for urgent appeals for blood donations required by the Blood Bank and is not an invitation to those who are planning to have an operation requiring supplies of blood for which they have to make their own arrangements and replace any taken from the Blood Bank.
