IT has been revealed that lots of deaths at the National Referral Hospital occur as a result of unavailability of blood supply.

Voluntary Non-Enumerator Blood Donor Coordinator, Mr Roy Oeta told local media in a press conference yesterday, “They are avoidable deaths, we can avoid them from death if blood is readily available.”

He said when there is a need and no blood is available, that’s what happens – people die.

Mr Oeta said that is why they are advocating for voluntary blood donation.

He said NRH needs a consistent blood supply and that will only happen if people are willing to voluntarily donate blood.

Mr Oeta explains that SIRC is more on awareness and advocacy programmes to improve volunteer blood donation.

“Because relatives donation is more common than the voluntarily blood donation.

“And that only happen for the purpose of saving the life of their relatives and not for other people’s use.

“It shows in last year’s blood supply that 75 percent of people donate bloods is relatives whilst only 25 percent are volunteers,” he said.

Mr Oeta stressed that volunteers should be at the heart of the blood donation.

Adding that the reason is for NRH to have a blood supply that is not only collected for relatives.

He said during times of emergencies the doctors will not call the relatives of the person to donate blood for him.

Mr Oeta stresses that with the seriousness of the case that will not possibly happen.

“This is the reason volunteer blood donation is very important to save life at any time with anybody.

“And it’s very important to see blood donation as everybody’s business and not when you only require to do for relatives,” he said.

Mr Oeta said the SIRC and the MHMS with other partners will continue to work together to ensure voluntary blood donation continues in order to save life.