SANBS is not a blood bank

Many regular blood donors have raised this question and have asked why, if they donate regularly, should they pay for blood when they need it?

Gerrie Smith from Welgedacht is a voluntary unpaid blood donor who feels the organisation shouldn’t charge regular donors for transfusions.

“The fees paid in hospitals are a fee for the service,” says Vanessa Raju, SANBS communications manager.

The SANBS is a non-profit organisation that receives no funding and to collect, test and get the blood to patients, carries a huge cost.

Vanessa says it is this cost that is attached to blood products, which a patient pays for should they need it.

Blood donors are the foundation of a safe, sustainable blood supply and play a vital role in assuring the availability of stable and sufficient supplies of safe blood for transfusion.

“In a country with such high infections like HIV, we have state-of-the-art testing and this alone comes at a cost of R500 000 a day to operate,” she says.

The organisation operates within a guideline set by the World Health Organisation of voluntary donation, and by 2020 all countries around the world are targeted to follow this model.

Another question raised by Gerrie is why regular donors can’t donate and store or bank the blood at the SANBS.

Due to the lifespan of blood, when separated, platelets last for five days, red cells 42 days and plasma can be frozen for up to three years.

“Hence we do not like to be referred to as a blood bank, as you cannot collect ahead and be ready for the bad times,” she adds.

The Addie’s Facebook page was abuzz with comments:

•  Marietjie Combrinck: “Think if you are a regular blood donor, no they shouldn’t pay.”
• Edward James Shawe Snr: “Donating is an act of love, to give blood is to save life.”
• Naomi Chapman: “I used to donate blood but when I needed blood in hospital this year we had to pay thousands of rands. I know it is a act of love but will never donate blood again.”
• Maritsa Cordier (translated from Afrikaans): “If we have to pay to receive blood, then we should be paid when we donate.”
• Cecily Sangeres Baartman: “They should give regular donors tags so they can receive points or something for the amount of blood to get for free when they need it and only pay hospital costs.”
• Amelia Jordaan: “Someone saved my son’s life when he was only one and a half years old, now he and his sister donate so they can make a difference in someone else’s life. We will never know who that person was but we keep on praying for him or her.”