Samoa Red Cross Society has made another public appeal for blood donors emphasising how donations can save lives at the national hospital.

The S.R.C.S. General Secretary, Namulauulu Tautala Mauala, told the Samoa Observer in a telephone interview on Saturday that they’ve been reaching out to potential donors through the church communities in recent weeks while doing awareness on the importance of being a donor. 

She said their community outreach programme and blood donation drive has been going well, which means the blood bank has available supplies able to meet the demands of the national hospital at Moto’otua.

Blood donation is voluntary, though Namulauulu says there are fears amongst members of the public, that sexually transmitted infections could be spread through blood transfusion.

A team from the S.R.C.S. will next visit the Saleimoa Congregational Christian Church of Samoa on Sunday.

Churches could be visited throughout the week, but Namulauulu says they are often busy with their own activities and Sundays are normally the best times to visit, when both the youth and congregation members are available.

She added that churches have stepped forward to assist the S.R.C.S. programme and these have included offering the venues for their teams.

Asked whether the team will also visit Savai’i, Namulauulu said they already have a team on the big island, and most serious illnesses there are always referred to Moto’otua on Upolu where the blood bank is located.

She reiterated that donating blood is safe and before a donation is done, S.R.C.S. staff would check the donor’s haemoglobin to ensure he or she has enough blood to donate.

At the end of the day, becoming a blood donor is about saving lives which Namulauulu says is important for the public to understand.