WATCH: Your blood can save a life

MBOMBELA – The SANBS depends on schools, universities, businesses and individuals to collect the level of blood required to meet demand in hospitals.

Lebo Matsimbi, a donor-relations practitioner, explained to Lowvelder they held a competition last year in which the school that donates the most blood units wins a prize.

Bergvlam was the winner, donating 340 blood units.

“We will continue with the competition this year,” she said.

Minimum Requirements to be a Blood Donor:

• You are between the ages of 16 and 75 years old, for first-time donors.
• You weigh a minimum of 50 kg (and platelets a minimum of 55 kg)
• You are in good health.
• You lead a low-risk lifestyle.
• You consider your blood safe for transfusion.
• You have had a balanced meal within four hours of donating blood.
• You have not donated blood in the last 56 days (and platelets in the last 14 days.)
• Your pulse is between 50-100 regular beats per minute.
• Your blood pressure is below 180 systolic (first number) and below 100 diastolic (second number) (180/100mmHg) and above 100 systolic (first number) and above 60 diastolic  (second number) (100/60mmHg).
• Your haemoglobin level is 12.5 g/dL or above.

All leaners should bring a copy/cellphone picture of their ID/birth certificate when donating at school blood drives.

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Matsimbi would like to thank all the schools for their support, and she encouraged learners to donate more this year.

Members of the public can donate blood at the Nelspruit Donor Centre on the corner of Bitterbessie and Flamboyant streets, as well as the donor centres situated in Riverside Mall, i’langa Mall and Lydenburg Mall.

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