Help pump up blood stocks
Blood donors urged to give their pint ahead of festive season
BLOOD stocks levels are critically low and with just a 3.5 day supply the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) has called on donors to boost blood stocks ahead of the busy festive period.
According to SANBS Communications Manager Vanessa Raju, this time of the year is difficult for blood collection and as SANBS is dependant on contributions from scholars and university students, blood stocks drop during the holiday period.
She said there are thousands of people who rely on blood transfusions daily including many women who lose blood during childbirth or victims of trauma accidents.
‘SANBS needs to collect 3 000 units of blood every day as without it many people could lose their loved ones.
‘With statistics revealing that less than 1% of our 50 million population donate blood every year, there is a real threat of hospitals experiencing blood shortages during the holidays,’ said Raju.
Meanwhile in their latest campaign, SANBS urges people to not let the holidays get in the way of life and encourages the community to take advantage of the mobile clinics at various shopping centres as well as the extended operating hours at the Richards Bay Blood Donor Centre at Boardwalk Inkwazi Shopping Centre.
The donor centre is open from 9am until 4.30pm on week days, 8.30am to 1pm on Saturdays and then 9am to 6pm from 17 to 20 December.
Mobile clinics will be held at LAC Centre in Meerensee on 16 December from 10am to 3pm and at Sanlam Centre in Empangeni from 10am to 4pm.
