The Solomon Islands Red Cross Society (SIRCS) has clarified that they did not pull out their blood collection service as reported in the Solomon Star on Thursday.
The SIRCS secretary general Joanne Zoleveke said the organisation only suspended the service temporarily.
“SIRC is currently undertaking an internal investigation involving its former staff seconded to the Blood Bank and as such we have had to temporarily suspend the services we provide to the Blood Bank through this seconded staff,” Ms Zoleveke said.
She added it is not correct to state that an internal matter of the SIRCS was the cause and to implicate that it is also the reason why there is a critical situation at the Blood Bank.
“The Society is committed to providing support services to the Blood Bank of the National Referral Hospital as it has continually done over the past 40 years and will continue to do so into the future,” she said.
She said since the National Society was established in the country as a Branch of the British Red Cross Society, and later becoming a Society in its own right, the SIRCS has always supported the National Referral Hospital’s Blood Bank by providing human resources support services through its seconded staff and volunteers in order that this Unit of the Hospital provides the critical and crucial services it must give to its clients and patients.
“It is, therefore, misleading for the Solomon Star to say that the SIRCS is pulling out its service to the Blood Bank,” Ms. Zoleveke said.
Ms. Zoleveke asks for responsible reporting adding that the article has not done justice to the long and dedicated service the National Society has provided to the vulnerable people of this country needing medical and health attention at the National Referral Hospital.
The Secretary General further concluded that the Solomon Islands Red Cross Society fully supports the Medical Superintendent’s and the Director of the Medical Laboratory Department’s calls for the general public in Honiara to show their support for the Blood Bank by voluntarily donating your blood at the National Referral Hospital.
“Your blood donated today, can save one more life tomorrow.
“The Solomon Islands Red Cross Society continues to strive to help the vulnerable people of this country in whatever way it can.”
