URGENT NEED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26544, 20 August 1947, Page 3

URGENT NEED

APPEAL FOR BLOOD DONORS SHORTAGE OF PLASMA “Blood transfusion is a dramatic life-saving measure," said the medical superintendent, Dr Bevan Brown, in issuing an urgent appeal for blood donors for the Oamaru Public Hospital at the monthly meeting of the Waitakj Hospital Board yesterday. " It is very trying," he continued, " endeavouring to arrange for blood donors for accident cases from the small number of voluntary donors at present on the hospital list. During the war a large number of donors was available, but at the present time, apart from certain stalwarts, there is an acute shortage.” Dr Brown said that the public probably did not realise the vital necessity of having donors readily available. It was not possible to call on donors too often, and the greatly extended use of blood transfusions made the presnt panel of 64 donors inadequate. It had not been possible to obtain a supply of blood plasma from Dunedin, ns there was a shortage of donors there also. Dr Brown considered that from Oamaru’s population of approximately 8000 people it should be possible to obtain at least 400 donors, and it would then be possible to establish a blood bank at the hospital. He said that donors should be between the ages of 21 and 50 years. The giving of blood was not detrimental to health, and in fact was beneficial to the donor's health in a large number of cases. Employers of labour could assist greatly by making known to their employees the urgency of the need and by arranging times for the employees to visit the hospital for tests. Dr Brown asked, and the board endorsed the request, that persons willing to give blood should ring the Oamaru Public Hospital (telephone 1770) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on week days, and between 9 a.m. and mid-day on Saturdays, and arrange a time for a test to be taken. When required, arrangements would be made for donors to be taken to the hospital and returned to their places of employment or homes.