BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 210, 2 June 1944, Page 3

BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE

English And Wellington Schemes A film dealing with the blood transfusion service in England and sent to Sir Harry Batterbee was shown to members of tlie Wellington Kotary Club this week by Mr. C. Meaehen, secretary of rhe National Blood Transfusion Service. The film traces the operation of blood-getting from the bedside to laboratory, shows bow the blood is separated into its. four groups, labelled and packed for delivery by air or sea to wherever it may be required. , , , One phase of the blood bank system is the manner in which the red blood is separated from the plasma (the clear liquid), the plasma being frozen, and then dried off into a powder, so that it can be preserved for years. It was stated that there were last year some 320,000 blood donors in Great Britain, many of whom gave contributions regularly and were always ready, in town or village, for the service vans when they arrived. There was even a blood-getting method by which factory workers became donors without interference with their work. It was also stated that 6000 donors were always at call for the R.A.M.C.

In introducing the film Mr. Meachen road an appreciation of the blood transfusion service in Wellington by Dr. Cairney, superintendent of lyellington Hospital, who dwelt on the increasingly important part this aid was playiug in medical practice in this country. To that tribute Dr. ,T. O. Mercer, pathologist and deputy-superintendent of the hospital, furnished the following statement: — “During the year ended March 31, 1641 calls have been made by the hospital ou voluntary donors from the Wellington branch of the National Blood Transfusion Service. In the year before this there were 1166; thus 700 more donations of blood were required in the period under consideration. There has been a lessened demand for blood for military purposes. This considerable increase is therefore an important indication of the progressively prominent part which blood. transfusion plays in tlie structure of civil medical practice. Indeed, there are well defined lines on which this work is developing. In the Wellington Hospital there has been more use of blood serum in treating patients who are suffering from acute surgical conditions. This has been attended with most encouraging results. There is also in the medical wards more frequent use of concentrated suspensions of red cells, i.e., whole blood from which the plasma (has been withdrawn. Here again the newer method has proved most successful. I feel it is important at this time to stress these points, so that the prime importance of blood transfusion in medicine will not be forgotten in the special war-time needs of today. “The Hutt Hospital in full operation will require a considerable amount of blood for transfusion. I am sure that the best way of arranging this from the point of view of the hospital will be. by. the extension of the existing facilities in Wellington. If-the same arrangement now in operation in Wellington. can be exteded to voluntary donors living in the Hutt district, then a valuable service should be immediately available. There have been no unusual incidents during the year which require comment, and the work has continued smoothly and efficiently with the willing co-operation of donors.’’