00:00Many stakeholders, including those in health, the TNT Defense Force, the corporate sector, sports and education,
00:07came together for the flagship national blood donation drive at the Coover Children's Hospital.
00:13It's part of the government's goal to move the country away from people donating for loved ones
00:17to donating because it's needed to strengthen hospitals and equip them to effectively deal with crisis situations.
00:25Health Minister Dr. Lacrambodo says saving lives extend past medical institutions to a shared responsibility
00:32as he highlights the significance of giving blood as more than just an act.
00:37According to him, it spells hope.
00:40They are about hope. Hope for a mother experiencing complications during childbirth.
00:48Hope for a child battling cancer or a blood disorder.
00:51Hope for a patient undergoing emergency surgery.
00:54Hope for the victim of a road traffic accident.
00:58Hope for families waiting anxiously beside a hospital bed.
01:03More than 100 donors turned up to give blood, a resource the health sector is critically in need of.
01:10At present, Trinidad and Tobago collects approximately 19,000 units of blood annually.
01:17Whilst this reflects the generosity of thousands of citizens, it remains significantly below our national requirement.
01:27Our national target is approximately 45,000 donations annually, representing roughly 3% of our population.
01:37And this is the international benchmark.
01:39So we have a way to go, but I believe that we can get there.
01:42The health minister states that the non-remunerated model is the only sustainable way forward.
01:48While there is acknowledgement that a goal will not be met overnight, it is gaining support,
01:54with more than 50 companies committing to hosting multiple blood drives annually.
01:58Over the next three months, over the next 12 weeks, multiple blood drives are scheduled across the country.
02:05And of course, when that time comes, we're hoping and we're hoping that we'll be able to continue to roll
02:11out and make it a habit.
02:14At the time of the minister's remarks, the benchmark of 35 to 40 units of blood were already collected,
02:21with the expectation of a triple-digit goal by the end of the drive.
02:25Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
02:28T
02:28You
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