Blood collections dry up

Broome community members have urged Red Cross Blood Service to fix the problem created by the closure of its local blood donor centre late last year.

Locals were outraged at the lack of community consultation and the lack of value they said had been placed on blood donations, as well as financial, material and volunteer support.

Meanwhile, donors said they have become indignant as Red Cross was still phoning them, asking them to donate, when the closest centres were now at Geraldton and Darwin.

While the blood service did not directly supply blood for Broome Regional Hospital, as blood was processed in Perth before distribution, the need for blood is keenly felt in areas such as Broome, where stabbings and violent attacks are commonplace during certain times of the year.

Collecting around 20 donations over two days each week, the Broome centre was run by two staff members and a long-serving volunteer.

WA/NT Blood Service Manager Rod Astbury said the donor centre had closed due to staffing issues and would not be reopened.

“The service’s mission is to provide a safe, secure and cost-effective supply of quality blood products,” Mr Astbury said.

“While we strive to provide opportunities for the community to donate, we must also justify our operations as being both safest and most effective as possible.”

He said any resulting shortfall would be made up through 12 centres in metropolitan and rural WA, and the Donormobile, which services areas around Perth.

But the decision has left therapeutic donors, including Diane Norsworthy, in limbo. With hemacromatosis – excessively high iron levels in blood – she is required to have blood taken every few weeks.

Her only options now are waiting in the hospital, where appointments can’t be made, or paying to go to a GP – neither of which are suitable options as she has a fulltime job.

And despite the Red Cross Blood Service saying Broome only collected 0.5 per cent of the 12-13,000 blood donations needed by WA and NT each month, regular donors also believed their donations made a difference.

Long-time donor Chris Wright shares his blood type with just three per cent of the population.

Now the only way he can help those people who may need his blood, is to travel thousands of kilometres to regional centres, or go to Perth, Darwin or Alice Springs.

“This is a retrograde step,” he said. “If it’s a staffing issue, it’s management that has the problem, and it’s up to them (Red Cross) to solve it, not shelve it.” District Hospital Advisory Council chairman Sally Winteridge said she had grave concerns for the community over the closure. She asked Red Cross to take a ‘glass half full’ approach towards increasing donations and making the centre more viable.

“I strongly advise you to re-consider our situation as we are on the verge of a big population boom and we need your services,” she said.

“We are prepared to do all that is required to assist your wonderful organisation.”