IT’S that time of the year again, when festive decorations of all colours, shapes and sizes have crept into shopping malls, the workplace and many South African homes.
This period is an occasion for people to remind their loved ones of how special they are and sharing gifts is an expression of that love. The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) therefore encourages people to give an unusual and lifesaving gift to a stranger – blood.
During the festive season many people travel across the country by road to visit family or just to take a break from the bustle of the big cities and spend time at the beach. The increased volume of vehicles on major roadways increases the probability of collisions which are often fatal.
Over 1,300 children and adults were killed in the 1,118 accidents reported during 2014’s festive season – a 0.6 percent drop from 2013.
“While we are pleased the number of fatalities from road accidents is dropping, the number of lives that are lost in a time when families should be celebrating life, concerns us,” said SANBS chief marketing officer Thapelo Mokoena.
Every day the blood service endeavours to collect about 3,000 units from temporary and fixed collection facilities in eight provinces to meet the need for the lifesaving resource.
Often, accident victims are in need of just one unit of blood that could save their lives and SANBS encourages South Africans to join that network of life-givers.
“SANBS is honoured to be an integral part of a community of thousands of donors who sacrifice their time to give blood and afford a stranger a second chance to live to witness another Christmas. We encourage those who have not considered donations as a gift to take the first step and visit their nearest donor centre this festive season because they are angels that we cannot do without,” said Mokoena.
For queries or concerns about donating blood, people are encouraged to visit one of the donation centres or to call the toll-free helpline 0800-11-9031. Donors can also engage via www.sanbs.org and Facebook.
