Blood donations still needed during lockdown, says SANBS

THE South African National Blood Service (SANBS) says it has a social responsibility to take all necessary steps to try and prevent the spread of Covid-19.

SANBS provides an essential service within South Africa and appeals to donors to continue donating blood, to help prevent stocks dropping.

To ensure that the people who utilise SANBS facilities are protected, it is assessing donors at the doors and at access points into mobile sites.

“Our donation sites are regularly disinfected with alcohol. We have also equipped all our clinics and mobile site entrances with antiseptic sprays and alcohol wipes. Importantly, we are also encouraging and educating donors to delay donation if they are exhibiting any flu-like symptoms or signs of infection until they are in good health. In addition, we request donors who have travelled to countries with known cases to delay their donations for at least 21 days,” he said.

ALSO READ: SANBS doesn’t test for Covid-19

All visitors to SANBS will be assessed via a questionnaire for Covid-19 exposure. International visitors will not be allowed entry into SANBS premises if they have travelled during the past 14 days and have not tested negative for the virus.

Any urgent queries or concerns can be directed to SANBS’s Medical Director, Dr Jackie Thomson on 083 450 5841 or the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD)

Coronavirus hotline number on 0800 029 999 or WhatsApp number 060 012 3456.

*Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news

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Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).

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