The Caring for Life Foundation is generously donating a Platelet Agitator to the Cayman Islands Health Service Authority (HSA).

The Caring for Life Foundation is a community-driven charity that raises funds for needed equipment and supplies to ensure that the healthcare system can respond effectively when needed.

Blood analysis devices and Blood testing equipment are used for analyzing the different components of blood. These Blood testing equipment are used to maintain the quality of blood components and separate various components too.

One of the most used and desirable pieces of equipment is a Platelet Agitator.

Platelet agitators maintain donor platelets in an even suspension throughout the blood plasma. Platelet agitators are blood testing equipment used for storing platelets at a specified temperature range usually between 20°C-24°C. Blood platelets must be kept agitated in order to retain their adhesive properties and viability. Platelet agitators are of two types: Flatbed type of agitator and Rotary type of agitator. In flatbed type agitators the agitation achieved is better than in rotary types of agitators. Platelet agitators are found as a free standing unit in an air conditioned room and they can be fitted inside an incubator too, which achieves the desired temperature.

Platelet agitators are needed in blood banks and hospitals to ensure proper storage of platelets before transfusion. The main function of a platelet agitator is to store platelet concentrates in continuous motion at a specified temperature. It is a chamber like structure made of double wall. The exterior one is made of mild steel while the inner portion is made from imported medical grade stainless steel.

Platelet agitators are of differing sizes and designs. They are required to be robust and emit low noise because continuous agitation is needed. They do no damage to blood cells. They can be accommodated in platelet incubators.

Owing to their vital role in hemostasis, platelet storage is an indispensable procedure for all blood banks and healthcare delivery centers.

The Caring for Life Foundation

We often take our health and our healthcare system for granted, but when we, or a loved one, become ill or need medical assistance, we want immediate attention and the best possible care. That means qualified professional staff at a first-rate hospital with state-of-the-art equipment for diagnosis and treatment.

That should be the right of all residents of the Cayman Islands. Reality, however, makes that dream uncertain. The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA), which funds the public hospital, receives most of its funding from its operations and from Government. With only so much government funding to go around for education, infrastructure, law enforcement, social services, and other vital needs, our Public Hospitals face shortfalls. As a result, patients are often forced to seek medical treatment off-island in the US, Canada, the UK or elsewhere.

To know more about the work of the Caring for Life Foundation go to:

http://173.203.198.107/caringforlife/