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3 hours ago, JohnF13 said:

Because it would cost money Doug, thereby diverting funds away from Diputado’s “special” projects.

The cost is minimal.  A refrigerator (with generator) , a centrifuge, a few thermos coolers for transporting.  The preservatives in the unit bags are good for about 90 days now (frozen plasma for 2 years).   We could get and keep 2 As and 2 Os pretty quickly, and actually test them for hepatitis, etc.  Also, we need to get smarter and give Rh pos blood to non-childbearing Rh Negative patients (especially older males, they can always safely get Rh positive blood),  if needed , as well as a few other well established procedures currently in use in the U. S.   Blood Banking isn't as hard as it used to be.  It is one of the cheapest, but also one of the most important things in emergency healthcare.  Just read the "Carnage Report" on CL daily.....

Edited by Palo Alto Jo
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  • Moderator_02 changed the title to B+ Blood Donors Needed
13 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

There is an existing Blood Bank at the old Hospital Obaldia. Why it’s not functioning as it should be is unknown to me but it certainly seems like something worth investigating.

 

Even if there is one is David, we need a few emergency units in outlying cities, like Volcan and Boquete.  The hour or more to get to David could mean bleeding to death. We have enough horrible wrecks out here to justify it.  In the U.S. , when the units get nearer their expiration date, they are transferred to the nearest hospital, trauma center, and new ones are collected for the local Blood Banks.  Our having little banks here would even help those in David.   Any idea if it is legal to pay for blood here?   We certainly have enough hostal kids around that could probably use a few bucks, they alone could keep it stocked.  It's not legal to pay in the U.S. except for plasma for other uses (like shampoo).  

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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.  

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23 hours ago, Charlotte said:

OK, FACTS.  

There are no blood banks ,yet, in Panama.  This is NOT the US or Canada, so things are different here.  .  

 Regional Hospital has their own blood bank.   

I’m not tying to be disagreeable Charlotte, but the facts are that there are Blood Banks here.in Panama although they obviously aren’t serving our community’s needs.

I do appreciate and admire your dedication to helping others in this effort. I’m only interested in understanding how improvements can be made.

If by the comment that “this is not the US or Canada”, you mean that the Red Cross doesn’t administer Blood Banks you are correct, those which do exist are administered by the C.S.S.

This Google search provides all kinds of links to the subject.

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Edited by Keith Woolford
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On 25/03/2018 at 4:42 PM, Charlotte said:

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

A little off subject here Charlotte, but if you have any voice in the ongoing discussions I highly recommend the system used by UPMC (Pennsylvania) system be looked at.  They are the best I've ever worked with, cover many States and even Saudi Arabia. Far superior to the Red Cross.    Very hi-tech, very easy, very standardized so that all hospitals work exactly the same, and share records.   All crossmatches are done "virtually" from a central location in Pittsburgh, and the individual hospitals simply hand out the unit number that is deemed appropriate by the Central Blood Bank personelle.  The Main Blood Bank keeps records on all donors and recipients for future reference, which is extremely important if someone had to receive non-type specific units in an emergency.  Future transfusions can be trickier, and might be at a different hospital the next time.  So, keeping central records is important.  I think their system is far, far advanced over anything the Red Cross has , less expensive, less red-tape , and extremely safe, as each transfusion is verified by 2 technicians for clerical errors (the number one cause of BB accidents), one at  the Central BB, one local, before a unit is transfused.  They also know of every unit sitting in every refrigerator, so when a certain unit is needed at another location, that unit is transferred to the site needing it.  

Edited by Palo Alto Jo
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