Malcolm Charles
By Malcolm Charles, past president of the Rotary Club of St. Lucia, Saint Lucia
One day while visiting with my mom over lunch, I heard over her portable transistor radio a call for people with Type O positive blood to come to the local hospital to give blood in preparation for a patient surgery later that day.
I asked my mom if she knew my blood type, because I didn’t. But she didn’t know, either. So I drove to the nearest health clinic in her area to determine whether I might be of help and ask what happens if (emergency) blood donors do not come forward or what provisions are in place to collect and store blood in advance.
I learned that the hospitals did not have adequate blood storage facilities, and that they would lose patients if no one came forward with the right blood type. I also learned that there were no budgetary provisions for a blood collection and storage system.
It entered my mind, as president-elect of my Rotary club, to explore some sort of blood collection system. I conferred with the medical establishment in my area, of which the then chief medical officer was a member of my club. …read more
Source:: Rotary International Blog
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