People who have been to Central or South America are excluded from donating blood for six months, due to the circulation of certain endemic diseases within these territories, the Health Ministry has warned.
These diseases include Malaria and Chagas Disease, the Ministry added. It stated this is a long-established policy.
The Ministry issued the information on Friday among its policy for treating with non-nationals “concerning the provision of public health care services.”
The Ministry stated non-nationals will receive:
(a) Emergency Medical Services including: initial treatment, stabilization and discharge for acute medical conditions such as accidents, injuries, asthma, heart attacks, stroke, diabetic coma; and relevant diagnostics for acute care (using the Canadian Triage & Acuity Scale (CTAS) I-V which is currently the standard assessment tool used in all public health Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments);
(b) All Population and Public Health Services including immunisation and treatment of communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and other high-risk infectious diseases (eg Malaria).
Health officials told Guardian Media that health systems will not accept blood being “sold” by any non-nationals. Such incidents of people willing to sell blood had been noted last year, but such offers were rejected including by the Blood Bank in South. Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh was firm on Friday that such occurrences would not be accepted.