RURAL Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi is confident that the true voluntary blood-donation campaign by the Health Ministry would no longer see instances where people are begging others for blood to save their lives or the lives of their loved ones.

Addressing the launch of this campaign at the San Fernando Teaching Hospital on Friday, Al-Rawi said he has been a voluntary blood donor since he was a secondary school student.

And as a lawyer, he has represented clients on matters related to blood donation.

"So there is a mischief that we are seeking to solve. That mischief is to move away from a chit system for blood-donation arrangements."

Al-Rawi said under this system, people with chits to donate blood often swap them with others.

"That's the current system."

He said this system involves 8,000 plus people being able to donate blood while 4,000 people are told they are ineligible to donate.

"We are replacing that with a system of volunteerism. We have set a target of 66,000 units (of blood donated) per year."

He recalled an instance while he was attorney general about a child needing a blood transfusion.

As a result of that transfusion, Al-Rawi continued, "That small child developed HIV. That child's life changed forever on the back of the chit system."

He said the child's family had to find people to get chits from, so the child could have the blood transfusion.

"Chits came along and, because the quality of blood in the rushed system of chits is untested, sometimes the screening processes can go wrong."

Al-Rawi lamented, as a result of this the child developed HIV and later died.

"That is one of many cases that I have handled in my own litigation arena.

"This chit-management system of blood (donation) has been proven to have serious pitfalls."

Al-Rawi added, "We need to move people away from the trauma and anxiety and desperation of shopping for blood, because that is ultimately the human level where this tragedy lies.

He said the voluntary system has benefits such as better quality blood and regular supplies.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh reiterated the ministry's objective to develop a database of 20,000 volunteer blood donors. He was heartened that 2,500 people (1,500 from the banking sector and 1,000 from non-governmental organisation Sewa TT) are on the database.

Deyalsingh urged other people and groups to become donors.

South-West Regional Health Authority acting communications liaison officer Teresa Landeau-Herbert said she benefitted greatly from blood donations in 2006, 2015 and 2016. She opined that donating blood altruistically was the highest level of patriotism anyone could demonstrate.

"How comforting is it to know that Trinidad and Tobago has your back?"

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