Local medic pledges to save lives by donating blood
He has just donated his 50th unit of blood.
JUNE highlights and celebrates the millions of people worldwide who give their blood voluntarily to help those in need.
This National Blood Donor Month, ER24 thanks blood donors for their gift of life and urges others to donate if they are eligible to do so.
As an emergency medical service provider, ER24 paramedics see first-hand the effect severe blood loss has on patients in both trauma and medical-related cases. Severe blood loss can lead to a number of complications and result in death.
Speaking about some of the incidents he has attended to, Derrick Banks, ER24 Hillcrest branch manager, said, “Each situation and patient is different. We attend to patients injured in collisions, people injured after falling from a height and patients who are shot or stabbed, for example.
“When paramedics arrive on the scene of any situation, they assess and conduct a primary overview of the patient. If the patient has any signs of severe bleeding, paramedics try to stop or limit the bleeding. The patient is treated and transported to hospital,” he said.
Banks stressed that it is vital that a patient with severe blood loss receive immediate emergency care. “Blood carries oxygen and other essential substances to organs and tissues. Hypovolemic shock, also known as hemorrhagic shock, is a life-threatening condition that occurs when a person loses more than 20 per cent of their blood or fluid supply. This makes it impossible for the heart to pump sufficient blood to the body and as a result, a patient risks organ failure or death. Just recently we had a patient who suffered traumatic injuries to an arm and leg following a vehicle collision. She needed blood due to the severity of the injuries she sustained. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she underwent surgery. The surgery went well and she is recovering. This is just one example highlighting the positive impact a person can make by donating blood,” he said.
Banks himself is a blood donor. He has just donated his 50th unit of blood.
“Speaking from experience, my daughter was two days old when she had to undergo surgery and needed blood during the operation. I know giving blood is not for everybody but taking not even 30 minutes out of your day could help those in need,” said Banks.
