Members of the public now have more opportunity to donate blood, as the blood collection centre at the National Chest Hospital is back to full time operation. The centre located at 36 ½ Barbican Road Kingston 6 will now observe opening hours from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and on Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The centre’s reopening will provide an additional location in the Kingston Metropolitan Area, where persons who are eligible to donate blood can do so. The University Hospital of the West Indies and the National Blood Transfusion Centre at 21 Slipe Pen Road, Kingston are the two other blood collection centres in Kingston.
The public is being reminded that in order to donate blood at any of the National Blood Transfusion Service’s (NBTS) collection centres, they must present a government issued identification. This may be in the form of passport, driver’s licence or national identification card.
“We welcome persons who are able to donate during this time. We can assure members of the public that our centres are well sanitized. All persons are sanitized at three different points – registration, interview and donation. Additionally, all persons must have their temperature checked and all donors must wear a mask,” noted Dr. Alisha Tucker, Director of the National Blood Transfusion Services
The Blood Bank and its collection centres are open for blood donations and welcome walk-in donations. Additionally, donors can make an appointment and pre-register online. Appointments can be made by visiting nbts.gov.jm and clicking on the ‘Appointment/Pre Register’ tab. The donor will receive an email confirmation with the date and time to visit the collection centre. The appointment system has been made possible through the support of the #CitizensResponseJa team, ePost Caribbean and Chrysalis Communications.
The NBTS is responsible for the collection, testing and distribution of all blood and its byproducts distributed across Jamaica. To learn more visit www.nbts.gov.jm or call 876-630-1984.