The high prevalence of shootings and stabbings continues to place strain on the Blood Collection Centre’s resources.
That’s why senior blood collecting technician nurse Wendy Lorde is encouraging Barbadians to donate regularly.
“For 2025, we are at [1 997] units of blood. Some of those were voluntary, but most of them were replacement donors when people came to give to their relatives,” she said, adding that 4 500 units were collected last year.
“We want to change the mindset of Barbadians where that is concerned. We want there to always be a supply of blood at the blood bank because with so many accidents, shootings and stabbings, we use a lot of blood.”
Lorde added that these traumatic incidents led to an increased demand for blood.
“Accidents and all of the other things that we really don’t want to be associated with happen and life happens. So we have to use a great amount of blood to stabilise these persons,” she said.
She was speaking at the Blood Collection Centre, Ladymeade Gardens, Jemmotts Lane, St Michael, yesterday where they partnered with the Sagicor group and Egi Women as part of their 2025 World Blood Donor Day activities.
World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14, but the groups kicked off their awareness earlier this year.
People between 18 and 70 years and who are in good health can donate.
Founder of Egi Women, Gina Cummins, said they were pleased to support the blood bank for a third year.
She explained that Sagicor partnered with them and encouraged staff members to visit the centre. She said pickUP Barbados, with support from accounting firm PwC, was providing free rides
to the centre.
“Last year we were able to attract 41 persons on World Blood Donor Day and naturally we want to make an even bigger impact. We want to encourage more Barbadians, young and old, to come out and support this initiative because giving blood is such an important and noble act,” Cummins said.
Marketing manager at Sagicor Bank, Dwayne Worrell, said the group was pleased to lend
its support.
“This fits squarely in line with what we do and who we are as a group of companies. We want to amplify the efforts of Egi and the other companies that are coming on board. We want to increase the momentum and ensure the blood bank is always full,” he said.
One of the donors, Kevin Hinds, said he was there to support a friend.
“One of my friend’s nephews is not feeling well so she asked me and a number of friends to donate on his behalf, so I stepped up.
“I’ve donated at least three times before, so this is my fourth time. The last time was just before my grandmother passed. I believe all of us should donate at some point,” he added. (TG)
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