Become a hero and donate blood today
SANBS has pleaded with current and prospective blood donors to make donations urgently
The New Year and indeed the new decade are a chance to reflect.
While some still work out the way forward, day to day life still continues however, and such is the case for doctors who have to save lives.
In many cases they can only do so with the help of blood and blood products (such as plasma).
According to the South African National Blood Service (SANBS), there was an increase in the number of regular blood donors in 2019, and the service thanked all donors for their efforts.
Throughout the year, SANBS said there were adequate blood stock levels and over a million blood products were issued to patients in dire need of blood transfusions.
Unfortunately, for the first time in months, blood stocks have dropped recently to below the ideal level of five days’ cover.
This drop in blood stock is reportedly due to the holiday period.
There are approximately 3 500 donations needed on a daily basis, to meet the demand from patients.
SANBS has pleaded with current and prospective blood donors to make donations urgently, to ensure 2020 is another year of sufficient blood products being available to those in need of critical transfusions and other procedures.
Blood from one donor can save up to three lives.
SANBS is a nonprofit organisation and provides vein-to-vein blood transfusion in eight of the nine provinces in South Africa.
It has a donor base of approximately 500 000 active donors and approximately 90 blood banks serve over 1 000 hospitals and private clinics in the country.
The organisation remains dependent on the public to donate on a regular basis, to meet the requirements for patients across South Africa.
Become a blood donor and become a hero to someone in need!
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