PAHO Suriname and the Blood Bank of the Suriname Red Cross are partnering to boost donations of blood during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has reduced the supply of blood and blood components and adversely affected blood system activities in many countries. In Suriname, this has been no different according to the Director of the Suriname Red Cross, Mr. Glenn Slingaarde – the national authority responsible for the Blood Bank. The team in Suriname, with support from PAHO, has taken steps to assess, plan, and respond appropriately to the need for blood even during the times of lockdown and movement restrictions over the past 9 months. To support this partnership, PAHO has provided medical masks to maintain a safe environment for staff and clients of the Blood Bank along with small tokens to remind donors to stay safe during this time. PAHO also translated posters into Dutch for distribution at health facilities and in high-traffic areas such as universities, banks, supermarkets and other private sector establishments to promote the donation of blood.
At the hand-over ceremony, the PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell used the opportunity to remind the staff of the Blood Bank, stakeholders and the media of some key messages related to blood collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution in an environment that is safe and well-coordinated to ensure uninterrupted supply of blood and blood products even during the time of COVID-19.
