[caption id="attachment_3149" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Taylor Foster of Car City (left) and family all donating blood at the Car City Blood Drive held in March.[/caption] The Cayman Islands Blood Bank joins countries across the globe in celebration of World Blood Donor Day 14 June, with a focus on blood donation as an action of community solidarity and collaboration.Our upcoming and continuing partnership initiatives with various local businesses tie perfectly into the theme of this years World Blood Donor campaign: Be there for someone else. Give blood. Share life. The theme draws attention to the roles that voluntary donation systems, including our generous sponsors and devoted donors, play in encouraging people to care for one another and generate social ties and a united community, explained the Health Services Authority Laboratory Manager Judith Clarke.We are inspired by the alacrity, compassion and altruistic efforts of all our corporate sponsors, service organisations and community supporters including current partners towards raising wider awareness of blood donations benefit to all of society, Ms. Clarke added.As regional leaders in blood donation, the Cayman Islands national JCI accredited blood bank continues to engage robustly in new partnership opportunities and events that allow them to further celebrate individuals who donate blood, encourage potential donors and develop a local culture of committed, year-round blood donation. Among these opportunities and events is the Celebrate Cayman Summer Festival on 23 June, a part of the yearlong 60th anniversary celebration of the Coat of Arms. The Cayman Islands Blood Bank will join other organisations as they present interactive and engaging booths at the event to be held downtown George Town.Transfusion of blood and blood products helps save millions of lives every year. Caymans national blood service provides patients access to safe blood and blood products, which is a key component of an effective health system.An adequate supply can only be ensured through regular donations by voluntary, unpaid blood donors. However, in many countries, blood services face the challenge of making sufficient blood available, while also ensuring its quality and safety. Presently Caymans donor to population ratio is 1.9 2 per cent, which is far below the required ratio of 5 per cent as suggested by the World Health Organisation.Our national blood bank, which is ranked among the top 10 blood service within the region, is making every effort to bring our ratio up to the optimal 5 per cent required. Our blood donors are the lifeline to our organisation and lifesavers to many who have survived potentially fatal conditions, complex medical and surgical procedures, accidents and natural disasters. We hope that more individuals will share their enthusiasm as we continue to educate the public about the importance of blood donation, said Ms. Clarke.For more information about the Blood Bank, please visit www.bloodbank.ky or call 244-2674.
