POLOKWANE – Everyone would love to be a hero, and the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) makes that possible by providing opportunities for readers to donate blood and save a life.
The SANBS hosted a blood drive controller function on Friday, where they informed blood drive controllers about statistics and achievements, as well as why their work was so important.
Sello Makhura, donor educator, spoke about educating the public to become donors. “We need 824 000 units of blood annually and 3 000 units daily. Most donors are children in high school – over the exams and school holidays, we do not get enough blood,” he explained.
Makhura explained that one in four people would need a blood transfusion in their lifetime. He said there were four stages of transition. These were fear, education, decision and donation.
“There are different ways of educating like having peer promoters at schools and special education sessions at cooperations and in communities.”
Willem van der Merwe, SANBS northern zone head of marketing, said the more regular a donor donated, the smaller the chance to get infected.
Dottie Pinn, public relations practitioner of SANBS Limpopo, told guests there were five donor centres in Limpopo: Polokwane, Tzaneen, Mokopane, Phalaborwa and Louis Trichardt.
“We have two mobile clinics where we collected 14 604 units of blood last year,” she said.
According to Pinn, there were different blood drive categories, namely, promotions, business, community, holiday resorts, schools, shopping centre and tertiary institutions.
“The most blood, 27%, goes to mothers giving birth and only 4% goes to casualties.”
NBD Credit Solutions was announced the winner company. They increased their donations by 50% last year.
Blood donor educator Sello shares his story
