Community urged to donate blood amid temporary donor centre closure
According to the SANBS's website, blood stocks are significantly low.
The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) reminds the public to donate blood before the temporary closure of donor sites nationwide on November 5 and 6.
Donation sites will be temporarily closed as the SANBS is preparing to go digital to improve the donor experience.
Local donor practitioner Peter Mafela urged community members to donate blood for blood stocks to last during till after the closure.
The donor centre at the East Rand Mall will be open today (November 3) for an extended hour till 19:00. On November 4, the centre’s doors will be open from 10:00 to 15:00.
From November 7, the centre will operate as normal from 10:00 to 18:00.
“SANBS is moving towards digitalisation to attract and inspire a new generation of donors. We need to leverage the power of technology. “Digitalising donation sites will ensure operational efficiencies and streamline SANBS’ administration processes by using modern customer relationship management systems to ensure donors enjoy an optimised experience,” said Siemi Prithvi-Raj, SANBS executive for transfusion donor services and marketing.
“The automated questionnaire will further assist in flagging potential issues in real-time, ensuring improved donor and blood safety. This will improve efficiency in blood collection and management and enhance the overall donor experience.
“The introduction of the digital medical questionnaire at donation sites highlights our commitment to not only go paperless across our business but also to continuously innovate and become an organisation whose operational processes are as sophisticated as our medical technology,” said Ravi Reddy, CEO at SANBS.
Reddy added that donors need to present their IDs and prepare to have their photo taken for their first donation post-November 7. This is required for the new donor profiles.
“Donors will be verified on the system.”
The medical questionnaire will now be completed on a tablet or kiosk station, followed by the compulsory medical assessment, where donors will provide a signature on a digital device.
This is only the beginning of the digitalisation journey and involves taking the first giant step in the right direction.
“We encourage donors, especially the youth of South Africa, to help us make this a smooth transition by getting behind the enhanced donation drives and donating in their numbers. Bring a friend, colleague or even neighbour along to your next donation and help us to ensure ample blood stocks ahead of the two-day downtime planned for November,” Reddy concluded.
Join countless selfless individuals in making a life-saving donation during this enhanced blood donation period.
To be eligible to donate blood, one must be between the ages of 16 and 75, weigh more than 50kg and be in good health.
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