SANBS controller function to award businesses, schools

The South African National Blood Service in Limpopo held a controller function last Friday to award businesses, schools and blood drive controllers at these institutions for their dedication and continued support during the year.
Dottie Pinn, SANBS Limpopo Donor Relations Practitioner during her welcoming address remarked that the controllers are truly the backbone of the service.
Willem van der Merwe, SANBS Head of Marketing thanked the controllers for the time and effort they put into the drives to recruit new donors and to encourage regular ones. He stated that 600 units of blood needs to be collected daily, and that the SANBS works four to six weeks in advance to book the respective clinics to ensure they collect the amount needed.
He added that 60% of the blood donated is collected at the mobile clinics like the ones the controllers are responsible for.
Pinn introduced Sello Makhura, SANBS Educator who trains learners at high schools to become donor representatives as part of the Peer Promoter Project to help at the clinics and recruit learners. “The more we educate, the better we perform,” he said.
Makhura said that when functions are held at the schools the controllers can invite the SANBS for mobile clinics to recruit new donors or give regular donors a chance to donate blood.
“If we function individually it will take forever but if we can do it together, we will achieve our goal. Everyone has a part to play,” he said.
Awards were presented to the controllers. Pinn stated that a few were chosen for their dedication and hard work during the drives, but all are important in playing a role to sustain the SANBS’s blood supply.

Story: ELNA ESTERHUYSEN
>>observer.elna@gmail.com

Photos: Alet-Elize van Jaarsveld and Elna Estherhuysen

Featured photo: SANBS Personnel at the Controller Function held on Friday are Donor Educator Sello Makhura, Donor Relations Practitioner Limpopo Dottie Pinn and Head of Marketing Willem van der Merwe.