Countries around the world will celebrate World Blood Donor Day today—an observance that is designed to raise awareness about the need for safe blood donations.

To this end, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, through the Victoria Hospital Blood Bank Services, and in association with the St. Jude Hospital Blood Bank and International American University (AIU), will host a mega blood donation drive, encouraging Saint Lucians to show their support.

Local physician, Dr Indel Niles, explained that while some may not fully grasp the importance of donating blood, donations have a far-reaching effect.

“Persons needing blood are not just those who have suffered trauma or a violent altercation. This, in fact, is not the case. Our current kidney patients, our patients with chronic anemia, patients who have had surgery or that are going into surgery, are in need of blood as well as the trauma patients. The day to day reality is that we have patients who walk in with significant medical conditions, and who need blood just to maintain their health or their lives.”

He added that flooding the blood bank during emergencies tends to have a chaotic effect.

“Saint Lucians have a very low risk perception. Most shy away from donating blood. But when an emergency arises everyone from the community floods the blood bank which is chaotic. It has the effect of shifting our attention from the patient who is most in need, to the donors in order to go through the process of the interviews, collecting the blood, and testing the blood, all before the person is transfused.”

The slogan for the 2017 World Blood Donor Day campaign is “What Can I Do: Give Blood. Give Now. Give Often.”