‘Bloody’ great turnout at Umhlanga blood drive
In June, South Africans celebrate World Blood Donor Month, which incorporates World Blood Donor Day, which was on June 14 this year.
THE blood drive held on World Blood Donor Day last Friday saw 292 units of blood being donated to save lives across South Africa.
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The drive was a partnership between the South African National Blood Service, Netcare Umhlanga Hospital and East Coast Radio and took place at the hospital’s premises from 06:00 to 18:00.
Apart from scores of people attending to donate the precious liquid, health organisations also showcased their products and services at various stalls throughout the day.
Speaking to Northglen News, Dennis Ngongoma, donor relations practitioner for SANBS, said the organisation was pleased with the support from the uMhlanga community as well as the surrounding areas.
“We had a great turnout on World Blood Donor Day. A total of 359 donors came through, and we bled 292, which is excellent. We are grateful to the community and our partners for supporting this event,” he said.
First-time blood donor Kaylin Narainen said he was most excited to donate.
“It was my wife who asked me to come and support this worthy cause today, and I am happy that I did,” he said.
Another first-time donor, Jadene Madanlall, said she heard about the blood drive on the radio and wanted to be involved.
“After hearing the adverts, I thought, ‘I have to go donate blood’. It was my first time, and this is definitely something I am going to honour for as long as I can,” she said.
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