The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is responsible for the collection of over a million units of safe blood and blood products annually.
In order to achieve this mammoth task, SANBS staff are tasked with the recruitment and retention of regular, safe blood donors who are essentially the life force of the organisation, Dottie Pinn, Public Relations Practitioner at SANBS Limpopo explained.
Blood drives, like the one held at PEPPS Polokwane Preparatory School and College on Friday, ensures the safety of the blood supply. This was PEPPS’s fourth blood drive this year and a whopping 46 units were donated.
Pinn said the commitment of institutions like PEPPS maintain a safe blood supply for the country. Blood is essential in the treatment of many serious illnesses and it is important that South Africa has sufficient blood available for all patients, she explained.
With the 46 units of blood 138 people can be helped and blood and blood products are used amongst others for open-heart surgery, burn victims, newborn babies and in the treatment of diseases such as leukaemia and other forms of cancer, Pinn said.
Story and photo: Alet-Elize van Jaarsveld
>>alet-elize@observer.co.za
Photo: Pam Smith, Subject Head and organiser of the blood drives at PEPPS, donates blood for the 33rd time. SANBS Enrolled Nurse Patrick Nevhutalo keeps her company and sees to it that all goes well.
