#WorldBloodDonorDay: Your donation saves lives
With hosts of people still receiving blood transfusions in hospitals, the need for blood has not slowed down.
EACH year, millions of South Africans need blood transfusions to lead healthy lives.
If it weren’t for voluntary blood donations, who knows what people would have to do to get blood when they needed it?
Who knows how many people would have access to safe blood when they needed it? The South African National Blood Services (SANBS) kick-starts National Blood Donor Month with a special focus on honouring the dedicated donors who heed the humanitarian call to donate blood, while inspiring others to do the same.
The blood service said this year, World Blood Donor Day, Monday, 14 June, approaches as it is recovering from a unique set of circumstances that brought the world to its knees.
Even amid the pandemic, their annual observance has in no way lost its significance and importance. With hosts of people still receiving blood transfusions in hospitals, the need for blood has not slowed down.
“Attempts to save lives have been at the forefront of all blood donors’ minds, and we want to thank them for their involvement and support. The growing realisation across the globe that giving blood is a life-saving act of solidarity, and that services that provide safe blood and blood products are a crucial part of any healthcare system. This is among the core reasons we encourage you to continue donating and raising awareness on the importance of doing so,” said CEO, Ravi Reddy.
The international #GiveBloodAndKeepWorldBeating movement taps into the youth’s idealism and passion for bringing vital causes to life, such as that of those in need of blood.
Additionally, the movement strives to create change, improve health, and raise global awareness about the significance of blood donation on a regular basis.
The involvement and support of blood donors are most effective when individuals commit to donating regularly.
The blood bank said getting donors to commit regularly is a great challenge, but hope that through shared stories from people whose lives have been saved by blood transfusions, people will be motivated.
Use the hashtag #WBDD2021 to show support and spread awareness on social media.
Visit SANBS’s new donor centre at the Bluff Towers Mall on 318 Tara Road, go to www.sanbs.org.za or call 080-011-9031 for more information.
