Knowing your blood type in advance can be a great advantage when donating blood or going for an operation.
This is according to Luzelle van Zyl from Hamadi Clinical Laboratories, who helped conduct blood tests of learners and teachers at Hoërskool Randburg on April 8.
Hamadi held a session where learners were tested and told what their blood type was. “This will hopefully boost them to donate blood as there is always a great need for blood,” said Van Zyl.
She said knowing your blood type also helps if you are involved in an accident – you can inform paramedics what your blood type is so they quickly know what type of blood to supply. “[It is] always a good thing to keep part of your emergency details in your car or wallet,” she said.
About 64 learners and a few teachers participated in the drive. Van Zyl said they would do another drive at the school for Grade 10 and some of the Grade 11 and 12 learners who didn’t attend on the day.
One of the Grade 11 learners who joined the initiative, Kian Ferreira, said he wanted to know what his blood type was. “This will help me when I want to donate blood because it helps a lot of people,” he said.
Van Zyl concluded that the brave learners were inspiring and she thanked the school for allowing them to do the blood tests drive.
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