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| San Fernando General Hospital |
Update June 2022 - There is a new booking system and multiple locations are open on weekends.
https://health.gov.tt/services/blood-donation
It is a poor implementation as you have to fill out 2 separate forms and repeat some of the information, then also give some information at the blood bank... but it is an improvement.
Update November 2019 - I visited during the week. I had to park at the bottom of the hill for $7 an hour or $25 for the day because the guard at the hospital told me there was a lot of mud and I would get stuck. I did not see mud and other cars were allowed to go into the stony parking area on the left when going up the hill. They opened at 7.00am and I was the 4th person there. The service was quick and the nurses were all very friendly. I was done and out the door at 8.00am.
Update January 2017 - I recently tried to give a unit of blood to a friend. I was asked for the donation on a Saturday morning. I had to rush to the San Fernando blood bank because I was told it was the only one open on a Saturday. I had to go there with my blood donation card as proof that I have credits in order to get a hand written chit which says I have withdrawn a unit. I begged the nurse to wait for a few minutes after their noon closing hour because it was the only time I could reach. Thankfully she accommodated me. I was advised that if a patient needs blood and they do not have this credit chit, it would be given to them but the family would be told to replenish the units. If I was doing this during the week then I could go to another branch of the blood bank and they would call San Fernando to verify my credit.
Update April 2016 - I succeeded in donating blood but my experience was extremely frustrating. This was a completely different experience from what I went through last year. First of all I tried to go earlier this time since I reached wayyy too late at 7.15am the last time. I was aiming for 6.30am but I was stuck in stand still traffic for a long time on the highway because of an accident and officials stopped all traffic from passing for a long time. When I reached the blood bank at 7.05am there was a crowd of people including a female guard outside waiting to go in, it was not open yet. A few minutes later the guard advised the cleaner was still working and we had to wait. A few minutes later at 7.20am she advised everyone to line up in the order in which they came. I found this to be somewhat hilarious and somewhat disturbing. The guard was outside with the crowd for some time now and only now wanted to try to get people in order- this is typical logic for things in TnT where it does not matter how early you reach to an office, as long as your beat everybody else to the front when it does open, you are set. People talked among themselves and soon a line was formed with me close to the end. I was not actually paying attention to who reached after me but other people were paying attention.
As I approached the door I was given a number chit by the guard. At least 6 people after me were allowed in also for a total of about 30. This would have been the quota of people for the day, a senior nurse instructed the guard to tell anyone else to return at 7.00am on Monday. Inside, the senior nurse checked who were volunteers and who were returning from not being able to donate during the past week. There were a lot of people in those categories. At 7.45 my number was called by the receptionist to take my info and show my ID and donor cards and they became aware I was a voluntary donor. At 8.20am my number was called in to check my height, weight and Hb reading. I was within range.
For the second phase with the interview, numbers were no longer used and I was hearing names being called. At least two people who were after me in line were called before me. There was an extremely long time between names being called. Some people went to stand closer to the exit since the room was now extremely cold and the split AC unit was blowing on the chairs. I joined them around 10.00am. The senior nurse asked why we were all standing there and when she realised the AC was a problem she used a remote to switch it off completely. I would have only adjusted the temperature. Also the TV in the waiting room had a problem where every few seconds the volume would get louder then gradually softer then gradually louder again. This was ongoing for the entire time I was there.
At 10.45 I was restless and went to the parlour next door to the blood bank. I had a supligen and a pack of 6 biscuits. At 9.00am I had a bottle of juice. At 11.00am I was called in for the interview. I asked if this was the normal pace of things and was told there were only two nurses working and a third did not come out to work. They were extremely short staffed and the supervisors of the department did not seem to pay attention to it. Also, apparently the other donation centers take even longer and people are sent to San Fernando where they are more flexible even with less staff. I was flashed the list of donors for the day and told anybody with red ink was here during the week or are volunteers. I did not notice any red name after mine, but it was just a glimpse. Volunteers and people who were returning from during the week are usually mixed in with first time donors and allowed to get through earlier. I was simply at the end of the volunteers list. I proposed to the nurse that they have a sign or indicate a line outside so those who are waiting for the bank to open can be in proper order of arrival. I was also told it was now too long after my last meal and I would have to eat a substantial amount before the donation. I went to the parlour next door and luckily there was one more chicken paste sandwich. I had this and another pack of biscuits. I then presented myself to the donation room and was told to hold on outside until my name was called. At about 11.15am I was called into the room and asked to wait until one of the other two patients were done but that I could sit in an empty donation chair. About 5 minutes later I was attended to and I was given a pack of juice, I am guessing biscuits were finished, I did not ask. After taking a short rest I left the blood bank at 12.00pm. I had spent 5 hours there. This was extremely discouraging especially for a volunteer who would go through this more than most other people.
March 2016 - I tried to donate today but arrived 7.15am again but was told all numbers were given out for the day. They have a quota of people they process for the day. One man said he was waiting since 5.30 am. The guard at the door said the cut off time for entry is 7.00am which is hard to understand since the bank actually opens at 7.00am.. Trini logic. I would suggest you arrive there at least 6.30 am.
I donated blood today (March 2015) at the San Fernando General hospital. It was the first time I did it. The following describes my experience.
I arrived at the blood bank at 7.15am. There were a few people sitting inside when I arrived. The receptionist took my name and gave me a number. A few minutes later I was weighed and a drop of blood tested. My readings were within range so I was asked to hear my name to go in to another room. A few minutes later, during an interview I was asked questions to ensure I met the requirements to be able to donate. I was told to go out and have more food for breakfast because what I had was insufficient. The nurse insisted I had to eat more than the normal amount for breakfast, for my own good.
I walked to Subway at the bottom of High Street for breakfast. When I returned I had to wait a while before I was called back in. I was called back in a few minutes after 9.00am. The donation room had four reclining chairs for donors to sit in. There was one man in a chair next to me who was being prepped before I was attended to. When it was my turn, a pressure cuff was put on my right hand, at bicep level and over my t-shirt.I got a ball to hold up and roll with my fingers. The nurse found the vein she wanted and put in the needle. The bag was put on a scale to see when the required amount of blood was reached.
I had a choice of an orchard juice or an eggnog and a wheat biscuit to have during the process. By this time the first man had reached the required amount of blood in about 5 minutes. My bag was filling up slowly and after 5 minutes I too was done. I was given a card to read with advice on what to and not to drink and what activities to avoid for two days. This would help my recovery. The needle was removed and a plaster and piece of cotton was put in the spot and I had to hold my elbow closed for a minute. I was given a temporary card and told to come back in one week for my real blood bank card, or I can collect when next I came in. I could also have someone collect the card for me. The temporary card had a reference number which was assigned to me. I guess it is like my bank account number. I also found out that for every five units of blood that I donate and do not take any out, I get a bonus one. I was allowed to given a few minutes to rest in the chair and then told that I was done.
The process was easy and if I had went in initially having eaten enough food for breakfast I think I could have been done in under one hour. If I am a regular donor I would get a higher priority the next time I went in and not have to wait for everyone who reached before me.
As always for any government service, call before going in to ensure you know the right operating hours. Websites are not updated regularly.
Government links and contact info for banks are here:
https://health.gov.tt/services/blood-donation
If this article helped you then please click on an ad to support this blog.
Topics:
How to donate blood in Trinidad and Tobago
Giving blood in Trinidad
It is a poor implementation as you have to fill out 2 separate forms and repeat some of the information, then also give some information at the blood bank... but it is an improvement.
Update November 2019 - I visited during the week. I had to park at the bottom of the hill for $7 an hour or $25 for the day because the guard at the hospital told me there was a lot of mud and I would get stuck. I did not see mud and other cars were allowed to go into the stony parking area on the left when going up the hill. They opened at 7.00am and I was the 4th person there. The service was quick and the nurses were all very friendly. I was done and out the door at 8.00am.
Update January 2017 - I recently tried to give a unit of blood to a friend. I was asked for the donation on a Saturday morning. I had to rush to the San Fernando blood bank because I was told it was the only one open on a Saturday. I had to go there with my blood donation card as proof that I have credits in order to get a hand written chit which says I have withdrawn a unit. I begged the nurse to wait for a few minutes after their noon closing hour because it was the only time I could reach. Thankfully she accommodated me. I was advised that if a patient needs blood and they do not have this credit chit, it would be given to them but the family would be told to replenish the units. If I was doing this during the week then I could go to another branch of the blood bank and they would call San Fernando to verify my credit.
Update April 2016 - I succeeded in donating blood but my experience was extremely frustrating. This was a completely different experience from what I went through last year. First of all I tried to go earlier this time since I reached wayyy too late at 7.15am the last time. I was aiming for 6.30am but I was stuck in stand still traffic for a long time on the highway because of an accident and officials stopped all traffic from passing for a long time. When I reached the blood bank at 7.05am there was a crowd of people including a female guard outside waiting to go in, it was not open yet. A few minutes later the guard advised the cleaner was still working and we had to wait. A few minutes later at 7.20am she advised everyone to line up in the order in which they came. I found this to be somewhat hilarious and somewhat disturbing. The guard was outside with the crowd for some time now and only now wanted to try to get people in order- this is typical logic for things in TnT where it does not matter how early you reach to an office, as long as your beat everybody else to the front when it does open, you are set. People talked among themselves and soon a line was formed with me close to the end. I was not actually paying attention to who reached after me but other people were paying attention.
As I approached the door I was given a number chit by the guard. At least 6 people after me were allowed in also for a total of about 30. This would have been the quota of people for the day, a senior nurse instructed the guard to tell anyone else to return at 7.00am on Monday. Inside, the senior nurse checked who were volunteers and who were returning from not being able to donate during the past week. There were a lot of people in those categories. At 7.45 my number was called by the receptionist to take my info and show my ID and donor cards and they became aware I was a voluntary donor. At 8.20am my number was called in to check my height, weight and Hb reading. I was within range.
For the second phase with the interview, numbers were no longer used and I was hearing names being called. At least two people who were after me in line were called before me. There was an extremely long time between names being called. Some people went to stand closer to the exit since the room was now extremely cold and the split AC unit was blowing on the chairs. I joined them around 10.00am. The senior nurse asked why we were all standing there and when she realised the AC was a problem she used a remote to switch it off completely. I would have only adjusted the temperature. Also the TV in the waiting room had a problem where every few seconds the volume would get louder then gradually softer then gradually louder again. This was ongoing for the entire time I was there.
At 10.45 I was restless and went to the parlour next door to the blood bank. I had a supligen and a pack of 6 biscuits. At 9.00am I had a bottle of juice. At 11.00am I was called in for the interview. I asked if this was the normal pace of things and was told there were only two nurses working and a third did not come out to work. They were extremely short staffed and the supervisors of the department did not seem to pay attention to it. Also, apparently the other donation centers take even longer and people are sent to San Fernando where they are more flexible even with less staff. I was flashed the list of donors for the day and told anybody with red ink was here during the week or are volunteers. I did not notice any red name after mine, but it was just a glimpse. Volunteers and people who were returning from during the week are usually mixed in with first time donors and allowed to get through earlier. I was simply at the end of the volunteers list. I proposed to the nurse that they have a sign or indicate a line outside so those who are waiting for the bank to open can be in proper order of arrival. I was also told it was now too long after my last meal and I would have to eat a substantial amount before the donation. I went to the parlour next door and luckily there was one more chicken paste sandwich. I had this and another pack of biscuits. I then presented myself to the donation room and was told to hold on outside until my name was called. At about 11.15am I was called into the room and asked to wait until one of the other two patients were done but that I could sit in an empty donation chair. About 5 minutes later I was attended to and I was given a pack of juice, I am guessing biscuits were finished, I did not ask. After taking a short rest I left the blood bank at 12.00pm. I had spent 5 hours there. This was extremely discouraging especially for a volunteer who would go through this more than most other people.
March 2016 - I tried to donate today but arrived 7.15am again but was told all numbers were given out for the day. They have a quota of people they process for the day. One man said he was waiting since 5.30 am. The guard at the door said the cut off time for entry is 7.00am which is hard to understand since the bank actually opens at 7.00am.. Trini logic. I would suggest you arrive there at least 6.30 am.
I donated blood today (March 2015) at the San Fernando General hospital. It was the first time I did it. The following describes my experience.
I arrived at the blood bank at 7.15am. There were a few people sitting inside when I arrived. The receptionist took my name and gave me a number. A few minutes later I was weighed and a drop of blood tested. My readings were within range so I was asked to hear my name to go in to another room. A few minutes later, during an interview I was asked questions to ensure I met the requirements to be able to donate. I was told to go out and have more food for breakfast because what I had was insufficient. The nurse insisted I had to eat more than the normal amount for breakfast, for my own good.
I walked to Subway at the bottom of High Street for breakfast. When I returned I had to wait a while before I was called back in. I was called back in a few minutes after 9.00am. The donation room had four reclining chairs for donors to sit in. There was one man in a chair next to me who was being prepped before I was attended to. When it was my turn, a pressure cuff was put on my right hand, at bicep level and over my t-shirt.I got a ball to hold up and roll with my fingers. The nurse found the vein she wanted and put in the needle. The bag was put on a scale to see when the required amount of blood was reached.
I had a choice of an orchard juice or an eggnog and a wheat biscuit to have during the process. By this time the first man had reached the required amount of blood in about 5 minutes. My bag was filling up slowly and after 5 minutes I too was done. I was given a card to read with advice on what to and not to drink and what activities to avoid for two days. This would help my recovery. The needle was removed and a plaster and piece of cotton was put in the spot and I had to hold my elbow closed for a minute. I was given a temporary card and told to come back in one week for my real blood bank card, or I can collect when next I came in. I could also have someone collect the card for me. The temporary card had a reference number which was assigned to me. I guess it is like my bank account number. I also found out that for every five units of blood that I donate and do not take any out, I get a bonus one. I was allowed to given a few minutes to rest in the chair and then told that I was done.
The process was easy and if I had went in initially having eaten enough food for breakfast I think I could have been done in under one hour. If I am a regular donor I would get a higher priority the next time I went in and not have to wait for everyone who reached before me.
As always for any government service, call before going in to ensure you know the right operating hours. Websites are not updated regularly.
Government links and contact info for banks are here:
https://health.gov.tt/services/blood-donation
If this article helped you then please click on an ad to support this blog.
Topics:
How to donate blood in Trinidad and Tobago
Giving blood in Trinidad
Blood donation in Trinidad
Volunteer to give blood to blood bank
What is the process to give blood
How can I give blood
San Fernando General Hospital blood bank
Volunteer to give blood to blood bank
What is the process to give blood
How can I give blood
San Fernando General Hospital blood bank
Thanks for sharing your experience Ryan!
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