South African National Blood Service open a donation centre in Northgate Shopping Centre
Debra Foster urge donors to be consistent and donate three times or more in a year.
South African National Blood Service opened a new donation centre in Northgate Shopping Centre in Randburg and they are inviting the community to come and donate.
There is currently a shortage of blood in the country and the blood services are in desperate need of it, especially blood type O and platelets.
The service’s head of marketing Debra Forster said the reason for the shortage of blood type O was that it was the most common in the population.
She added that this type of blood was needed mostly for women giving birth in hospitals. “If there is anybody out there that is in good health and meets all our requirements we need you to save lives.”
Foster explained that platelets were small, colourless cell fragments in our blood that form clots and stop or prevent bleeding.
“At the moment we do not have enough stock of platelets. To become a platelet donor you must be an A or AB blood type. Patients such as those with cancer, undergoing surgery and organ transplantation lack sufficient quantities of platelets. They rely on donors and need these donations regularly.”
These are the minimum requirements you need to donate blood:
- Weigh at least 50kg
- Between the ages of 16 and 75
- Must be in good health
- Low-risk lifestyle
- Consider your blood safe for transfusion
- Had a snack or a meal four hours before giving blood
- Meet all the medical assessment guidelines.
The donation centre’s operating hours are:
Monday to Friday 9:00– 18:00
Saturday and Sunday 8:00–14:00.
For more information visit:
www.sanbs.org.za
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