BLOOD DONORS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 129, 2 June 1937, Page 18

BLOOD DONORS

TRANSFUSION SERVICE

DOMINION CONFERENCE

The first National Blood Transfusion conference to be held in New Zealand met yesterday at the Wellington Hospital. Dr. C. Gordon Kemp (chairman of the Wellington Blood Transfusion Service) presided.

The conference was opened by the Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Health (the Hon. P. Fraser),: who emphasised the value of the blood transfusion service to the community, .and the importance of the* conference. To a layman, the work being done was miraculous. CO-ORDINATION DESIRED. Dr. Kemp said it was hoped that, arising out of the deliberations, a Dominion committee would be set up to co-ordinate the service on a Dominion basis. Two outstanding, matters to. be discussed would be uniformity of the service in New Zealand, and the question of voluntary or professional donors of blood.

Mr. J. Glover (chairman of the Wellington Hospital Board) said that he knew of no society that was doing better work than the Blood Transfusion Service, the members of which were performing a self-sacrificing labour. He knew that the Wellington Hospital derived much benefit from the service. Dr. M. H. Watt (Director-General of Health) said that blood transfusion came into general use shortly after the ' war. ■ The Health Department's records showed that between 1921 and 3924 sporadic attempts were made to introduce the treatment into the hospitals, ■ but the first organised attempt to put ; blood transfusion on a sound footing 1 occurred in 1932, when the Wellington ' Blood Transfusion Service was established. Since then, other similar i bodies had been established m the ■ Dominion, and the movement had gone ■ ahead rapidly. It was fitting that the '■ Wellington Service, which pioneered • the movement, should be responsible i for the present conference. Blood transfusion was a highly-technical and complicated problem, not complete from risk to the recipient, and it was possible that an undue imposition might be made at times on a limited • number of donors. In New Zealand they had been fortunate, and there had been no untoward incidents of any '. sort It was desirable that a conference should be held, and the service put on a sound footing. It was also desirable to devise a Dominion organisation which would meet the needs of the community. He hoped that the blood transfusion service would remain mainly on a voluntary footing. The conference then proceeded to discuss technical aspects of the agenda. The following resolutions were 'adThat a national Mood transfusion council be formed, comprising delegates present at the conference. That the principle of all blood transfusion services be of an emergency, nature. That recommendations be made to hospital boards that where possible they should utilise such facilities as can be provided by the St. John Ambulance Association. _ That where the St. John Ambulance cannot be made use of, then such organisation as local facilities dictate should be undertaken. That where possible all blood transfusion services should be on a voluntary basis. Dr. P. P. Lynch (Wellington) was elected chairman of'the'-national council. Mr. C. Meacheh, also of Wellington, was appointed honorary secretary.