Blood supply critically low
The SANBS has made an earnest appeal for blood donors to step forward and make a donation of blood today.
MBOMBELA – “Our national blood supply is currently at just 1.6 days’ Group O stock, amounting to just over 1 500 units of O blood available around the country,” says Silungile Mlambo, national marketing manager for the South African National Blood Service (SANBS).
The looming Easter weekend, when many South Africans drive long distances and road accidents increase, will certainly put additional pressure on the national blood supply. Yet Mlambo points out that incidents of trauma make up only a fraction of the demand for blood. Women giving birth, cancer patients and people undergoing open heart surgery also rely on blood donations.
“So many people in life-threatening situations require blood. It’s what saves that hemorrhaging mother’s life, so that she can raise and love the baby she has just brought into the world. It is what saves someone suffering complications during major surgery or that cancer patient endure and survive treatment.”
“And that’s the point: it’s not just blood. It’s saving people’s lives, through a simple, easy donation,” says Mlambo.
To find out more about donating blood and to locate your nearest SANBS donor centre, visit sanbs.org.za or call 0800-11-90-31.
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