I've just returned from a 2 month period serving with Mercy Ships (www.mercyships.org) on board the hospital ship Africa Mercy in Lome, Togo (W. Africa) and will be returning to the Africa Mercy in January 2011. We have a unique way of dealing with the the transfusion needs of our surgical patients -- our crew members serve as a "walking blood bank" and we do not store any processes units. Donors are drawn and the still warm whole blood unit taken to the OR suite or patient ward for transfusion!

Many things are done differently there than here! But, one thing perhaps some of you might be able to help with is a need for a better means of sealing off the units of blood we collect for transfusion. Currently we are tying a couple of knots in the tubing before beginning the collection, then tightening those knots once the collection is completed to seal off the unit. I've asked my supervisor to see about obtaining a portable tube sealer, or at least the metal crimps, crimping tool, and tube stripper, as well as a collection scale. She will be persuing this, but in the meantime, if anyone out there has some of those metal crimps, crimping tools, or tube strippers sitting around that you no longer use, perhaps you might be able to donate them. Feel free to contact me about that, or if you might be interested in serving for a few months or a few years with Mercy Ships!

Why don't you contact Genesis or Sebra and ask if they will donate a sealer? They have been know to do that. Good luck.

Hi csjuarez , I am impressed and I applaud you and all those serving on this noble cause!!

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Edited August 19, 201014 yr by Cliff
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Why don't you contact Genesis or Sebra and ask if they will donate a sealer? They have been know to do that. Good luck.

My supervisor is responsible for contacting vendors and making arrangements for purchase or donation of equipment. However, if anyone on the forum is in a position to make such an offer, you can contact me by private message and I'll put you in contact with my supervisor. Since most folks have sealers now, and probably in most cases backup sealers, I was just putting out a plug to see if anyone had some of those metal crimps and tools sitting in a drawer somewhere... if so, I'll be glad to take them off your hands!