NT emergency service workers donate blood as flu season claims six lives

As the flu season continues to wreak havoc across the NT, emergency service workers have rolled up their sleeves to help save even more lives.

Emergency service workers in the NT are used to saving lives everyday.

But this week they have swapped lights and sirens for needles and stress balls to help out in a different way.

As part of the Emergency Services Blood Drive, members of NT Fire and Emergency Services, St John Ambulance, Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Australian Federal Police will compete to see who can donate the most blood and plasma over the next three months.

Chief fire officer Mark Spain, Royal Flying Doctor Services; Sam Bennett, Director of Ambulance Services Andrew Thomas, NT director of emergency services Fleur O’Connor and Federal Police’s Bobby Docking have rolled up their sleeves for the Emergency Services Blood Drive at Casuarina, Darwin. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood spokeswoman Zoe Ross said the drive came at a time when people required blood donations the most.

“The cold and flu season, combined with ongoing Covid-19 cases, has created a perfect storm for a potential blood donor shortage,” she said.

“About 2000 donors a week across the country are cancelling and rescheduling appointments due to cold and flu symptoms.

“That figure is higher than this time last year and the situation is expected to worsen in the coming weeks.”

This flu season there has already been more than 1600 cases recorded, including 298 that required hospitalisation and six deaths.

At the same time last year there had been 4,672 confirmed flu cases, 728 flu-related hospitalisations and six deaths.

The NT currently has the second highest influenza rate in the country, with 654 cases per 100,000 population, behind Queensland with 722 per 100,000.

This week there were also 62 cases of Covid recorded.

Director of Ambulance Services Andrew Thomas said he enjoys the “healthy competition” of the blood donation drive. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“While regular donors are being sidelined, it is inspiring to see our emergency services personnel leading the way to fill vacant appointments and rolling up the sleeves of their uniform to donate,” Ms Ross said.

St John Ambulance service director Andrew Thomas said paramedics knew how important blood donations were from working on the frontline of car crashes and medical emergencies.

“We know that across a lot of road trauma and other conditions that require blood and plasma across the NT,” he said.

“Rolling up your sleeve and giving blood is a really easy way to give back to the community.”

Mr Thomas said the drive provided a bit of “healthy competition” between emergency service workers.

“There’s always a bit of friendly rivalry between fireys and ambos … but we’ll see whose smiling at the end,” he said.