NOBODY should die in a hospital in KwaZulu-Natal just because there is a shortage of blood, and the public can make all the difference to ensure that this does not happen.
This was the message from KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, who donated a pint of blood at a South African National Blood Service depot in Durban this week.
With the main source of blood – students – being away for the holidays, and with factories closed, the SANBS currently has enough blood to last just three days in KwaZulu-Natal.
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MEC Dhlomo, who is a regular universal O-blood type donor, said: “We often hear of a shortage of blood and that is always concerning because if there’s a shortage, then it means you can’t access blood from our hospitals. So, I’m here to give my contribution but also to plead with South Africans to consider donating a pint of blood. One pint of blood can help a pregnant woman who has bled too much, or a cancer patient who needs it, or someone who may be in an accident. So, it’s a gift of life. And it’s a great thing because you’re giving it to someone you don’t even know. I would wish that nobody should die in a hospital just because we are short of blood. We all need to mitigate against that.”
In order to become a blood donor you must weigh at least 50kg, be between the ages of 16 and 65, lead a safe sexual lifestyle, be in general good health and consider your blood safe for transfusion to a patient.
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