Blood banks in the DR?

Acira

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Sep 20, 2009
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Can I ask a question about this topic?

Is their no bloodbank in the DR where you can donate blood, where there is a lab who test the blood and then stores it? (most of the times this in hands of the Red Cross organisations)

Thanks,

Acira
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Acira, I moved this to a separate thread to preserve continuity of the Blood Donor thread and because more people will see your question this way.
 

Black Dog

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May 29, 2009
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Acira, this is a very good question. I was wondering the same thing myself but don't know the answer!
 
Aug 21, 2007
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Do they pay for donor blood also?

Don't know, Jumbo. Sorry. Why don't you call them and find out for us! I am told that they sell the pints of blood for somewhere between 1,700 - 2,500 each. A hard figure on that would be interesting to know also.

Lindsey
 

whirleybird

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Feb 27, 2006
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Despite there being blood banks in certain parts of the island, the urgent need for blood has occurred on more than one occasion to my personal knowledge - that was the thinking behind having a donor register on DR1 to offer assistance as and when necessary which, of course, we sincerely hope doesn't occur.....

Due to Mr. WB's chemotherapy treatment back in the UK recently, he would need 'irradiated' blood should he ever be unfortunate enough to need a transfusion. We have been assured that is available at Union Medica, Santiago.
 
Aug 21, 2007
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Despite there being blood banks in certain parts of the island, the urgent need for blood has occurred on more than one occasion to my personal knowledge - that was the thinking behind having a donor register on DR1 to offer assistance as and when necessary which, of course, we sincerely hope doesn't occur.....

Due to Mr. WB's chemotherapy treatment back in the UK recently, he would need 'irradiated' blood should he ever be unfortunate enough to need a transfusion. We have been assured that is available at Union Medica, Santiago.

Sorry, Whirleybird- I didn't mean to imply that a blood bank should be used instead of donors from a registry. I was simply answering a question.

I knew of this blood bank because I do volunteer work at a clinic for Haitians. When THEY need blood, the bank I cited is where we go.

Lindsey
 

whirleybird

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Sorry, Whirleybird- I didn't mean to imply that a blood bank should be used instead of donors from a registry. I was simply answering a question.

I knew of this blood bank because I do volunteer work at a clinic for Haitians. When THEY need blood, the bank I cited is where we go.

Lindsey

And quite rightly too, as that was the question that was asked... I only 'chipped in' as I know of those previous problems for people trying to obtain blood. I think it is good for us all to know of every possibility so we can prepare accordingly. I have certainly made a note of the facility you mention.
 

Acira

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And quite rightly too, as that was the question that was asked... I only 'chipped in' as I know of those previous problems for people trying to obtain blood. I think it is good for us all to know of every possibility so we can prepare accordingly. I have certainly made a note of the facility you mention.

Me too Whirleybird, I've worked for more then 15 years for a blooddonor bank in Belgium. All the bloodbanks in Belgium and most European countries are runned by the Red Cross.
I asked the question because it seems to me very plain simple fact that when somebody needs blood, anybody, it should be available through the bloodbank...for free and donors should give their blood for free. Its a proven and very solid system that volunteers are more motivated and more "responsible" donors then paid donors.

Nevertheless, such system can only work if the bloodbank is able to screen donors well, have the latest new testing methods available and have proper storage facilities.
So, I do not know in how far such systems are already in place in the DR.
I am surely gonna look into the given adresses by LindsyKaufman and I will get back in this topic if I have some more information.

For sure, if a rare bloodtype such as AB- is needed and not immediately available or a special treated kind of blood such as irradiated blood or lots of platelets for example (liver transplant or patient with massive bleeding), also bloodbanks runned by the Red Cross would make a special announcement for the need at that moment.
What we alway's did was make the announcement, volunteers showed up to donate and then we stored their information in a special databank so that whenever we encountered such a demand again, we could respond still more rapidely and we had already a massive amount of information from potential donors and blood results in the databank so things could go even faster then.

I will keep in touch!
 

whirleybird

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Feb 27, 2006
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Me too Whirleybird, I've worked for more then 15 years for a blooddonor bank in Belgium. All the bloodbanks in Belgium and most European countries are runned by the Red Cross.
I asked the question because it seems to me very plain simple fact that when somebody needs blood, anybody, it should be available through the bloodbank...for free and donors should give their blood for free. Its a proven and very solid system that volunteers are more motivated and more "responsible" donors then paid donors.

Nevertheless, such system can only work if the bloodbank is able to screen donors well, have the latest new testing methods available and have proper storage facilities.
So, I do not know in how far such systems are already in place in the DR.
I am surely gonna look into the given adresses by LindsyKaufman and I will get back in this topic if I have some more information.

For sure, if a rare bloodtype such as AB- is needed and not immediately available or a special treated kind of blood such as irradiated blood or lots of platelets for example (liver transplant or patient with massive bleeding), also bloodbanks runned by the Red Cross would make a special announcement for the need at that moment.
What we alway's did was make the announcement, volunteers showed up to donate and then we stored their information in a special databank so that whenever we encountered such a demand again, we could respond still more rapidely and we had already a massive amount of information from potential donors and blood results in the databank so things could go even faster then.

I will keep in touch!

Great Acira, you are really getting involved and enthusiastic about things needed so quickly and admire you for that quality. Thus far, we have been talking about individual needs but there is also the question of blood supplies if there was a major disaster such as an airplane crash or something similarly bad which involved a lot of people. Will look forward to your update...