The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY every day, another flyer circulates appealing for blood donations for someone in need — young or old — a reality that has prompted Khandi Gibson, president of Families of All Murder Victims (FOAM), to challenge the public to mark their birthdays by giving a pint of blood.

Ms Gibson said birthdays should be about more than celebration, suggesting they can also be an opportunity to give back to those who need help the most. She encouraged people to visit Princess Margaret Hospital, Doctors Hospital, or the Blood Bank with their families and friends to donate.

“Instead of you looking for money or worldly gain, celebrate your birthday by allowing somebody else to celebrate theirs,” she said.

Ms Gibson said she has made it a personal goal to donate blood every year. She recalled being contacted by a woman who asked her to help circulate a flyer seeking blood donations for her mother. Despite the appeal, the woman’s mother later died — an experience Ms Gibson said underscored the urgent and ongoing need for donations.

Health officials across The Bahamas, particularly at Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama and Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, have also been sounding the alarm over critical blood shortages, as hospitals struggle to keep pace with rising demand.

In March 2025, health officials in Grand Bahama issued an urgent appeal for donations as Rand Memorial Hospital faced increasing difficulty meeting transfusion needs. Adelecia Campbell, administrative manager at Grand Bahama Health Services, urged residents to donate as soon as possible, noting that the hospital’s blood bank has been unable to keep up with the volume of requests.

Ms Campbell explained that hospital staff frequently turn to social media to issue appeals, particularly when patients are in critical need of transfusions.

Claudia Glinton, laboratory manager at Grand Bahama Health Services, said blood donations are often used within a week of being collected — well before their 35-day expiration period. She noted that demand remains constant, with donations regularly required for patients with kidney disease, cancer and anaemia, as well as women giving birth.

Health officials have continued to encourage eligible donors to come forward, stressing that regular donations are vital to ensuring blood supplies remain available for emergencies and routine medical care alike.