HIV transfusion tragedy hurt blood donations

For Joy Charley, supervisor of the Belize Blood Donor Service, life since the transfusion tragedy has been anything but dull. We asked her how the highly publicised incident has effected donations at the blood bank.

Joy Charley, Supervisor, Blood Bank

“We don’t really have a shortage, but since all this publicity that has happened with the HIV transfused blood, our donors have dropped off. We have been collecting less and less each day since that negative advertisement that we had.”

Stewart Krohn

“Why should the average Belizean come into the Blood Bank and become a regular donor?”

Joy Charley

“It’s a civic duty. As a citizen, as a human being, we only collect blood from people. So as a human being we should feel responsible enough to come in and give blood. It’s not like doing too much, at least come in twice a year and give blood.”

Stewart Krohn

“For viewers out there, what should they do if they want to respond to your appeal?”

Joy Charley

“They could come in. We are open from 8:00 until 12:00, we are closed for lunch now, the phlebotomist is not here, and then we open at 1:00 until 4:30, Monday to Thursday and on Friday until 4:00. Once they are healthy, not taking any kind of medication and they are not less than a hundred and thirteen pounds, they could have a meal and come in and we’ll do the rest when they get here.”

The lab is undergoing major renovations as part of a project financed by the U.S. Government. PAHO has also provided badly needed new equipment to increase all aspects of the lab’s efficiency. At the same time government will be dealing with increased staffing levels and budget allocations.