City Pharmacy Limited commemorated World Blood Donor Day today. CPL facilitated an awareness on the need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion, during a blood donation drive.
The day was also dedicated to voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
Merrilyn Mathias, Head of National Blood Transfusion Service in PNG, said there are 34 blood transfusion centers with over 40,000 people donating blood annually.
Director for Medical Service for Port Moresby General Hospital, Dr Kone Sobi shared that over the last two years the hospital have been challenged in blood donations due to COVID-19.
“Over the last two years with the COVID, we have been really challenged. Our donations have been lower than expected. At POMGEN we would normally collect BOT 10, 000 donations every year but the last two years were lower than expected and that’s not surprising because of the COVID restrictions”, he said.
Testimonies were given by regular blood donors. Ginoh Bagi, a young mother from Gavuone Village Abau District, was invited to the awareness to talk about her seven year old son Jeremy who is in constant need of blood. She spoke about her son’s condition and acknowledged blood donors. Bagi also urged more people to donate blood as it saves lives like her son’s.