Let's call her Jane Hove.
She came in on Thursday night. I had been on call for 13 hours when I first starting clerking her into admission to our wards. I was still in the pleasant stage mood. A thirty six year old peasant woman from a village in Mashonaland West. She had been diagnosed with HIV a couple of years ago, each year ridden with different opportunistic infections, the current one being TB which had affected not only her lungs but also a form of meningitis we term TB Meningitis. These were straight forward to treat on antiTB's and steroids, but unfortunately for Jane, because of chronic illness and side effects of some of her ARV's, Jane also had Severe Anemia and was going into heart failure because of this.
On average a unit of blood in a state hospital in Zimbabwe costs $100. Jane needed 3 pints to get her haemoglobin up to the bare minimum. Not only was there a shortage of blood, she also couldn't afford one pint.
We lost Jane on Sunday afternoon.
Safe blood saves lives and improves health. Blood transfusion is needed for:
There is a constant need for regular blood supply because blood can be stored for only a limited time before use. Regular blood donations by a sufficient number of healthy people is needed to ensure that safe blood will be available whenever and wherever it is needed.
Blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person — the gift of life. A decision to donate your blood can save a life, or even several if your blood is separated into its components — red cells, platelets and plasma — which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions.
She came in on Thursday night. I had been on call for 13 hours when I first starting clerking her into admission to our wards. I was still in the pleasant stage mood. A thirty six year old peasant woman from a village in Mashonaland West. She had been diagnosed with HIV a couple of years ago, each year ridden with different opportunistic infections, the current one being TB which had affected not only her lungs but also a form of meningitis we term TB Meningitis. These were straight forward to treat on antiTB's and steroids, but unfortunately for Jane, because of chronic illness and side effects of some of her ARV's, Jane also had Severe Anemia and was going into heart failure because of this.
On average a unit of blood in a state hospital in Zimbabwe costs $100. Jane needed 3 pints to get her haemoglobin up to the bare minimum. Not only was there a shortage of blood, she also couldn't afford one pint.
We lost Jane on Sunday afternoon.
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| Let us this February show our love by donating blood through a Blood Drive campaign by JCI City & JCI Harare. Every Drop Counts |
Safe blood saves lives and improves health. Blood transfusion is needed for:
- women with complications of pregnancy, such as ectopic pregnancies and haemorrhage before, during or after childbirth;
- children with severe anaemia often resulting from malaria or malnutrition;
- people with severe trauma following accidents; and
- many surgical and cancer patients.
There is a constant need for regular blood supply because blood can be stored for only a limited time before use. Regular blood donations by a sufficient number of healthy people is needed to ensure that safe blood will be available whenever and wherever it is needed.
Blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person — the gift of life. A decision to donate your blood can save a life, or even several if your blood is separated into its components — red cells, platelets and plasma — which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions.
Saddening about Jane. Very. Where can one donate blood in Bulawayo?
ReplyDeleteThere should be a National Blood Transfusion Centre in Mpilo. Let me find out for you.
ReplyDelete