South African National Blood Service ready to expand
Reaching communities through life saving activities, SANBS expands target areas.
JOHANNESBURG – Manager of the Egoli Zone Services at the South African National Blood Service, Delene Duncan, revealed part of the 2014 strategy about expanding their reach in communities.
Bringing in targets and conducting more blood drives are just some of the progressive measures that SANBS said they are working hard towards achieving.
Duncan encourages blood donation on any day of the week, assuring people that they work every single day and even found themselves working on Christmas Day, showing the team’s dedication to saving lives.
Other objectives of SANBS involve improving blood procurement at donor centres, increasing platelet donor panel, sourcing new mobile blood drives and bringing in more repeat donors.
Duncan explained that communities which do not get visits from blood drive clinics and are interested in donating blood to SANBS can make a request for the drive to come to their community.
Repeat donors are the most crucial resource at SANBS, as they are guaranteed to always donate regularly. Unfortunately, not all new donors become repeat donors, but blood drive clinics are aiming to bring services closer to communities to encourage repeat donating.
Most of the blood collected is provided to oncology patients as they need more blood than most patients.
Delene Duncan told of the plight of a 12-year-old girl from Limpopo, who travels on Saturdays to Baragwaneth Hospital in Johannesburg to receive blood platelets. This girl doesn’t receive it due to a shortage.
Although Strini Naidoo and his family had a good story to tell, as their three-year-old son is a recipient of blood, not all people in need of blood are able to access it in time. Vearin Naidoo also had to wait periods of time to receive units of blood during his chemotherapy sessions.
“Your contribution over all these years, when some people have changed cars and some have even changed wives, you haven’t changed us,” said Duncan to a room full of repeat donors of more than 300 donations over the years. “You are dedicated and selfless and management would like to thank the donors for their contribution.”
The Donor Awards event was held at Gold Reef City, where repeat donors were given much deserved honours.
In Johannesburg, donor centres can be located in Southdale, Alberton and Germiston.
