NBTS Partners With Stocks and Securities Limited

The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) has reached an agreement with Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL), allowing for long term financial support for a range of projects, including marketing and promotion, the procurement of equipment and infrastructure support.
At a ceremony at the National Chest Hospital in Liguanea, Kingston, yesterday (June 16), the NTBS was presented with $250,000.
“By the forging of this new partnership, the National Blood Transfusion Services will receive greater support for its capacity to build and maintain public education efforts,” said Dr. Earl Wright, Acting Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health.
“The NBTS continues to embark on meaningful partnerships that will help to improve its capacity and increase the number of individuals who volunteer for donation,” he added.
Dr. Wright said that donating blood should be voluntary and not only when a family member is in need, adding that voluntary donation produces the safest units of blood anywhere in the world.
An average of 24,000 units of blood are collected each year by the NBTS however, the national need is approximately 60,000 units.
June 14 was celebrated as World Blood Donor Day, and Dr. Wright said that Jamaicans need to personalize the message from the observance, that giving blood regularly is crucial to saving lives.
He commended the NBTS for their consistent hard work throughout the years.
In her address, Dr. Jennifer Thame, Acting Director of the National Laboratory Service said that every blood transfusion service has a common goal, “to ensure the availability of blood and blood products to all patients requiring transfusion. Another goal is to ensure the safety and appropriate use of blood and blood products.”
She said Jamaica continues to fulfill the World Health Organization (WHO) Charter in screening 100 per cent of the blood collected, to ensure the safe distribution of blood and blood products.
Dr. Thame also pointed out that the NBTS aims to meet the demands of supplying sufficient blood and continues to strive and look at strategies to increase the supply of blood and blood products. Such strategies include the opening of new blood collection centres and increasing the number of blood mobiles.
“The NBTS has partnered with more than 10 corporate groups as well as international groups, namely Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). We welcome Stock and Securities Ltd. and thanked them for their commitment and partnership in improving this vital and essential service that is offered by the NBTS,” she said.
In her remarks, Michelle Knox, a representative from SSL, said that the company saw how vital it is to partner with the NBTS. “We see that what they stand for is in the same vein as what Stocks and Securities stands for. We are dedicated and committed to partnering with the NBTS in efforts to realize our goal of corporate responsibility to the community,” she said.
The NBTS falls under the Blood Bank, and one of its goals is to educate people about donating blood, in an effort to maximize the unit intake of blood to the national service. The NBTS targets groups, clubs, organizations via their mobile and educational sessions.