The National Blood Transfusion Service is committed to the safe collection, processing and distribution of blood and blood products in Jamaica.
The safety of blood supply is ensured by the extensive screening of donors to not only establish blood type, but the eligibility of the potential donor. Potential donors are interviewed by trained and qualified staff about personal and medical history as well as current health and behaviour. It is essential that this information is truthful and accurate.
This interview is followed by a testing procedure to screen for any transfusion-transmissible diseases. Puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic to lessen the possibility of introducing bacteria and the blood is collected into sterile blood collection packs.
Each blood donation is screened for:
- HIV/AIDS
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Human T-lymphotropic Virus (HTLV)
- Syphilis