They will start a new test to quickly detect HIV and hepatitis in the blood

Santo Domingo, New Diary – The National Blood Center of the Ministry of Public Health will start testing blood for HIV, Hepatitis B and C and other viruses in the coming days as part of an effort to guarantee transfusions for poor patients Safety and quality of blood components.

The center’s director, Dr. Pedro Sing Ureña, explained that starting next August, the procedure will use acid (NAT) with the aim of making the blood safer and more reliable.

“With this procedure, we can detect the presence of HIV and hepatitis B and C during the window period,” he said.

As part of the National Program for Timely and Reliable Assurance of Blood Components, the Blood Center will also provide platelets obtained through apheresis, which can increase the total number of platelets in transfused patients from 70,000 to 100,000.

Another novelty brought by the National Blood Center is the opening of Node One at the Vinicio Calventi Hospital in Los Alcarizos, which consists of a stationary station for the collection of blood, which is then processed by the National Blood Center and sent to the hospital , to meet the wellness center’s monthly needs of more than 190 pints.

In an interview with journalists José Tomás Paulino and Rosalva Escalante on the program “Aquí José Tomás” last Saturday, he called on community leaders on the border in the province of Santo Domingo to join in promoting Spontaneous, free and repetitive activities to help save lives.

Also, under an agreement signed between the National Blood Center and the State University, UASD will open a standing unit for those interested in voluntary blood donations.

Dr Pedro Sin recalled President Luis Abinard’s directive that blood be considered a public good that can be provided promptly and free of charge to address health emergencies at the heart of the health network.

He highlighted the efforts of the National Blood Center to achieve this goal. Currently, with the cooperation of public network blood banks, patrons and private blood banks, the Red Cross has successfully reduced the national demand to less than half. Calculated, this is the first time in the 70 years since the start of blood transfusion in our country that there has been a deficit

“Continued work has allowed us to increase the number of registered voluntary donors since we began operations on November 25, 2021, to approximately 17,000, up from 140 in August 2020.

Although he acknowledges that the collection has improved, the deficit remains high, around 146,000 items per year, which is why he insists on the importance of encouraging voluntary and customary donations from all citizens.

To this end, it has entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Education to raise awareness among children aged six to high school graduation, working with them to develop first-generation donors to close the gap between the supply and demand capabilities of children’s education. All part of the cast.

He emphasized that if the hemoglobin range is 12.5 G/DL, women can donate three times a year, and if the hemoglobin range is 13.5 G/DL, men can donate four times a year.

It doesn’t matter if they have tattoos, piercings, or other piercings, as long as the piercings were done at least six months ago.

The idea and the effort is to avoid a shortage of blood supply by bringing the percentage of replacement blood donations to 83% (currently 17%), as ordered by President Luis Abinard and the Ministry of Public Health.

related