BLOOD BANK IN CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26409, 1 May 1951, Page 8

BLOOD BANK IN CHRISTCHURCH

PLANS TO EXPAND SERVICE

ANOTHER 1000 DONORS WANTED

Plans are already prepared for expansion of the activities of the North Canterbury branch of the National Blood Transfusion Service, and it is hoped to be able to double the number of active donors. At present in the district there are approximately 1000 regular donors. The Minister of Health (Mr J. T. Watts) announced at the week-end that an extension of the national service was necessary. In response to a request, the North Canterbury Hospital Board last week increased its grant to the North Canterbury branch to £5OO to provide for the appointment of an, assistant to the honorary secretary (Mr C. H. Kersley). The board also appointed an additional laboratory assistant for the blood bank at the Christchurch Hospital, and agreed that alterations to the pathological department should be expedited and essential equipment provided.

Mr Kersley said yesterday that an assistant was already working with him making appointments for donors and arranging for an adequate number to be available. An assistant was necessary because of the increased demands being made on the blood bank, which was now collecting blood from about 40 donors each week. Most of the work of arranging for donors had to be done on the telephone, and the service had been fortunate in obtaining an additional telephone connexion -36-630.

• Previously it had been possible to import dried blood plasma from the United States, Mr Kersley said, Lut now that that source of supply was not available increased demands were made on local blood donors. The service must be prepared for any war emergency and the armed services had promised to co-operate with the National Blood Transfusion Service. In his annual report to the board last week. Dr. A. D. Nelson, medical superintendent to the North Canterbury Hospital Board, said that the blood bank at the hospital had had increased work during the year. Each new donor was medically examined ■and a test for possible anaemia was made each time a donor gave blood. Rhesus grouping was done on a much more comprehensive scale and the panel of Rhesus negative donors had been increased. The unit had prepared its own blood-grouping sera which, pending the completion of a small freeze-drying unit, had been dried for preservation by the pathological department at the Auckland Hospital In the year ended March 31 the bank made 2746 blood groupings, compared with 2588 in the previous year, and 1976 donors were bled, compared with 1871. Intravenous solutions totalled 5619 bottles (5902 in 1949-50), dispensary solutions. 12,418 bottles (15,516), and plasma issued, 99 bottles (66).