Durban — The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is urging the public to donate blood in the wake of the blood stock shortage.
The state of the nation’s blood stocks is significantly low and the SANBS urgently calls on South Africans to give blood to help meet the heightened demand from hospitals nationwide, said spokesperson Thandi Mosupye.
“The nation’s blood stocks are strained, necessitating our appeal for increased donations in aid of those who may need transfusions during this period,” Mosupye said.
Mosupye said that blood stocks have lingered below three days over a prolonged period and to avoid reaching critically low levels, the SANBS needs South Africans – active donors, lapsed donors and potential donors – to bolster the national blood stocks. SANBS runs blood drives across the country throughout the week.
“We commend the donors who remain steadfast in their commitment to saving lives. Right now, we need all the help we can get – from current and potential donors. Blood group O and B individuals can make the biggest, immediate difference to the situation we face right now,” Mosupye concluded.
KwaZulu-Natal regional spokesperson Sifiso Khoza said that the SANBS needs to collect 3 500 units of blood every single day of the year.
Khoza said that a unit of blood can save three lives.
Khoza said: “This is to ensure that we have at least five days’ stock to supply the hospitals and blood banks throughout the country. KZN needs 500 units of blood every day, but unfortunately we hardly make this number.”
Khoza said the reason for this is because less than 1% of the South African population are blood donors.
“We currently have only 480 000 donors on our panel,” said Khoza.
Khoza said KZN receives 40% of its donations from school pupils and university students.
“When the schools are closed we make sure that our mobile clinics are in most shopping centres, malls, places of worship and filling stations. This is to ensure that we are easily accessible,” said Khoza.
To be a regular blood donor, a person must weigh at least 50kg; must be aged between 16 and 65 and be in good health. Donors must avoid being involved in multiple sexual relationships in the last six months; must not have injected drugs into their system and must not have contracted a sexually transmitted disease such as HIV or syphilis – which can be passed on to a patient through your blood.
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