Charlotte

There are TWO people in hospital who need blood. The first one, whose sister is very active in the Handicapped Foundation, needs TWO units of either A or O Positive blood. The second person, Robert Rees, in Mae Lewis Hospital needs TWO units of A Positive blood. If you would like to donate, are under age 65, and have been in the country for 6 months, please call Tamara Balkenhol @ 6254-5618, blood donor coordinator for Boquete Health & Hospice. I you want to help, please call 6254-5618 for further information & screening. Do not reply to this post. Thank you!

There is a young man in Regional Hospital who needs A or O positive blood. His sister is very active at the Handicapped Foundation. There is also a person who will help you through the donation process at the hospital. If you can donate Sunday or Monday morning, have been in Panama 6 months, are under age 65, p,ease CALL Charlotte Lintz @ 6693-5005, Boquete Health & Hospice Foundation blood coordinator. If you can donate please CALL 6693-5095 for further screening & information needed before you go. Please do not respond here if you have questions or can donate. THANK YOU!

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Dan & Nixia Boville’s 12 year old daughter needs 3 more units of platelets. The hospital has requested O positive donors. Hospital Obaldia has newer equipment, so it does not take all day. If you can donate Thursday or Friday morning, please call Charlotte Lintz, 6693-5005, blood donor coordinator for Boquete Hospice. Please do not call Dan or Nixia as they are occupied. Thank You!

Great! Thanks to all who donated, and wanted to donate.

I would absolutely love it if Panama used the guidelines of other international organizations like WHO or International Red Cross. The only blood banks are in government hospitals like Oblata & Regional. The blood drive articles appear (with my Spanish) to be for the Maternal Infant Hospital. They have limited supplies, but do not loan or give to other hospitals. Regional, to keep a supply, has everyone having any surgery donate a unit of blood, and blood must be replaced if you use any. They do not loan or give to other hospitals. (But recently, a patient got one from them!). But as far as blood banks, like the US & Canada, Panama does not have. Irma, of Keep it Simple Panama has been a great help in aquiring some donors, and navigating the system recently in Regional Hospital and the private hospitals. I think talking to your doctors is great! This might be a campaign we can do, to push change. I’m thinking if the doctors find out the labs are over-riding them because of current, outdated law, and their patients are not getting what they need, they may push back. I will bring this up with Hospice, and see if we can develop a campaign.

I am finding recently, this is the new norm. The labs are sticking to the Panamanian law/guidelines.

Robert Bevan from Bocas needs several units of O negative or O positive blood at Mae Lewis Hospital. If you can donate, please contact his wife, Ursula Bevan, @ 6454-2735 or Toby Braxton 6617-8629

This needs was fulfilled, thank you!

This need is fulfilled, thank you

Thank you.

Regional Hospital will also take O+ blood. Please ask your friends!

Now, we are looking for DONORS! Please go ask your friends if they can donate. We have two people who need blood tomorrow morning!

OK, FACTS. There are no blood banks ,yet, in Panama. This is NOT the US or Canada, so things are different here. There was a conference a few months ago about blood donation here in Panama, but no rules have changed, yet. Coronado MAY have one, because a physician there has decided to take the cause on. I know their rules are more realistic because of his work. The process of change is very slow in this country. I just wish they would follow the WHO or International Red Cross guidelines. But....we have to work with what we have. Regional Hospital has their own blood bank. They are now requiring ANYONE requiring anesthesia, no matter how minor, to donate a unit of blood. In the past, this blood has ONLY been used at Regional, until a few weeks ago, when they did lend blood to another hospital in David. This was a rare occurance, but MAYBE things are changing. Right now, if you need blood, no matter how desperate, someone has to find donors. Yes, we have had people die because we couldn’t find enough donors. Yes, you can get paid to donate blood in a need. I know we have had some police & paramedics charge about $150 a unit for blood. I’m not sure of the exact cost, can’t remember, but it was a lot. We have done this in the past. These donors are hard to find, too. And they have to be paid cash, right then, match or not. There is still a fear of giving blood in Panama, so it is difficult to find Panamanian donors. Younger people are more educated, but change cell phones a lot, and work, so it is difficult for them to give on short notice. For the guidelines in Panama for blood donation, please go to Boquetehealth.org, under “what we do” then blood donation. Many times in the private hospitals, we can get the age restriction lifted, and/or the out of the country rule relaxed, so that is why we have people over 65 on our donor list.

Keith Darby needs hip surgery, and Regional Hospital needs a unit of either AB positive OR A positive blood before they will operate. He has a friend who will walk you through the process at the hospital. If you can donate Tuesday morning, please call Charlotte Lintz, 6693-5005, Boquete Health & Hospice Foundation.

There are discussions going on in Panama City, but the wheels of progress here turn very slow.

Sherry Crabb needs 3 units of B Positive blood for surgery. If you can donate MONDAY or TUESDAY, please call Charlotte Lintz, 6693-5005 for further information. Blood donor coordinator, Boquete Health & Hospice Foundation.

There is a gentleman in Regional Hospital who needs blood to have surgery. They will take O positive or A positive donors, if you are under age 65, and been in Panama for at least 6 months. We will have Irma from Keep it Simple Panama help you through the process. If you can donate Saturday, Sunday, or Monday morning, please call 6693-5005 Charlotte Lintz, blood donor coordinator for Hospice & Health Foundation of Boquete.

Unfortunately, found out today, the doctor eliminated the age limit, but the lab will not. They say they have to go by the government law, no donors after age 65 at Regional Hospital.

Diane needs to have surgery this week, and needs 2-3 units of O Negative blood to have the surgery. The doctor had removed the age limit, so if you meet the criteria to be a blood donor, please donate! If you are unsure you can find the criteria on our web page, boquetehealth.org under "what we do". If you can donate in the morning, Sunday or Monday, please call Charlotte Lintz, Hospice Blood Donor Coordinator at 6590-2000 Thank you!

Diane Sesseden needs 2 units of O- blood to have surgery. If you can donate Wednesday morning, please call Charlotte Lintz, blood donor coordinator, at 6590-2000.

Still critical, still needs blood. Anyone who goes, Dr. Barria will meet them & help thru the process.