Many people are unaware of the daily problems being faced by the Port Moresby General Hospital Blood Bank.
The issue is directly related to the shortage of blood donations that affect the treatment of many patients each day.
The patients cover everyone from all walks of life and all across PNG. The issue is a large one, but thankfully for PNG, there has been one lady that has taken up the challenge over the past three years to see that this trend change. Her name is Anna Megueria.
Anna has volunteered tirelessly at Port Moresby General Hospital Blood Bank and in the process, she has developed a sustainable program that is linking with all the companies and businesses throughout Port Moresby.
The program is the ANZ Corporate Blood Drive (ANZ CBD).
The ANZ Corporate Blood Drive hit its straps during 2015. The ANZ CBD now delivers over 50 percent of all blood donations to the PMGH Blood Bank. While this is a fantastic result, Anna still sees the opportunity for improvement, “I am exceptionally passionate about health. While the ANZ Corporate Blood Drive appears only to be about blood donations, it is in reality much more than this. It is about promoting ‘Better Health’ and the healthy options people can make. Your personal health is everything; without good health, you are a ticking time bomb. The ANZ Corporate Blood Drive provides information to every donor on real health options; we offer a basic free health check, and we also advise people on the condition of their blood. Many people are unaware of the diseases we test for including HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis, Blood Glucose, Blood Pressure and Iron. The concerning part is that many of our donations have to be rejected due to the high levels of infection within the blood collected. We are working to develop a detailed database with all of our donors. This will ensure we can manage our donor’s health and report to them any potential health issues. There is no point in just collecting results; we need to inform and educate our donors on ‘Better Health’.”
“2015 was an exceptional year. Our team worked exceptionally hard and were diligent throughout the year, and we achieved real results. I would like to thank our sponsor ANZ for their support during 2015. Their funding allowed us to purchase additional equipment including new Blood Donor Beds, New Scales, New Blood Pressure Monitors, and other information material to educate people on better health. I am very pleased to be able to announce that ANZ has further extended their support into 2016. They reviewed our results; they have seen the direct impact that this program is having on people's lives, and they wanted to invest further and support it.”
ANZ confirmed the extension of their support for the ANZ Corporate Blood Drive this week, with a further donation of K80,000. These funds will be managed by the PMGH Management, with the funds going directly to the procurement of additional equipment for the Blood Bank.
Mark Baker, CEO ANZ said: “I am very pleased to be part of such a great program. For ANZ, it is not about the branding we receive in being part of this program. It is about our opportunity to help a great organization, PMGH Blood Bank, and the Corporate Blood Drive. This is not traditionally an area that ANZ would take part in, however once I met Anna 2 years ago, and I saw the passion and drive to make this happen it was very hard to say no. I am personally very passionate about health, and it is an excellent opportunity for ANZ to support the health of all people in PNG. The ANZ Corporate Blood Drive is not about the CEO’s or the brands it visits each week. It is about supporting the staff within each of these organisations to ensure they are in good health, and that these corporations are taking an active role in promoting “Better Health” for all of their staff. I am delighted to be extending our partnership for 2016; I am very pleased to be working with Anna and the Corporate Blood Drive Team, and I am looking forward to seeing the results that are achieved during 2016. I want to congratulate Anna on an exceptional job and for running and exceptionally professional organisation.”