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16 December, 2008
SMS BROADCASTS AID FESTIVE SEASON BLOOD DRIVES16th December, 2008
In an effort to top up blood stocks at Divisional Hospitals, Vodafone Fiji Ltd will continue to send blood donors txt requests and reminders to donate blood during the festive season, thanks to an agreement between the Ministry of Health and Vodafone Fiji Ltd signed earlier this year.
Since the MOU was signed in late February, Vodafone has sent out a dozen requests, mostly to Western donors, upon the request of the Blood Banks.
Asked how much of a difference this has made to their drives, Lautoka Hospital Blood Bank Manager, Jaynesh Narayan said,
“A remarkable response has been noted since the launching of the SMS for blood donation in partnership with Vodafone. A blood drive held on March 15th at Sugar city mall with Sai Lautoka branch yielded 97 pints after Vodafone texted donors. Before the texting agreement our average would be 60 pints. On 10th May in Tavua with Tavua Red Cross the drive yielded 66 pints of blood where as previously we used to get an average of 35 pints. On 12th July, Red Cross Nadi collected 51 pints.”
This week a shortage of O blood has prompted the Central/Eastern Blood Bank, based at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, to request Vodafone to send more than 360 registered O donors a broadcast to give the gift of life this Christmas.
“The trend has been that few people take regular blood donation very seriously enough to donate blood every 3 months; some when they have an opportunity and most, around 50% wit for someone in their family in need. We all are doing this so our blood bank has adequate blood in stock to help all our patients and to prepare for any and all emergencies. If all healthy people started donating blood every 3 months, there would be no need for family members to replace blood used by their next of kin, “Narayan added.
The TxT service is provided free to the Ministry and to blood donors by Vodafone.
For more information contact Lenora Qereqeretabua at Vodafone on 9998526.
About Vodafone Fiji:
Vodafone Fiji Limited is part of Vodafone Group Plc, a leading mobile communications company with over 270 million proportionate customers worldwide. Vodafone Fiji which is a partnership with ATH Group and provides mobile telecommunications services to 650,000 Fiji customers. Vodafone is the number one mobile network in Fiji .The global company has equity interests in 26 countries and partner networks in a further 33 countries, the largest global footprint.