Keeping the blood pumping in Ballito

According to the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) website there are only 21 days left of the national blood stock.

Every donation could save as many as three lives, which is why SANBS recently congratulated the staff at Ballito Library for collecting 703 units of blood last year.

This was an improvement of 13 units from the 690 units collected in 2015.

SANBS donar relations practitioner Dennis Ngongoma said they appreciated the support from the Ballito and surrounding communities, but it was still not enough.

“We are supposed to be collecting 500 units in KZN daily and 3000 units in the country. However, we end up collecting 400 units or less in KZN,” said Ngongoma.

A blood clinic is held at the library every second Tuesday of the month.

What do you need to know before you donate?

• You must eat a balanced meal at least four hours before you donate.
• Check whether you qualify;
• Blood donation takes about 30 minutes.
• New needles, which are sterile are used once and incinerated, thereafter.
• Before donating you will complete a questionnaire containing personal details. Answer every question truthfully.

Who qualifies to become a blood donor?

If you are between the ages of 16 and 65, weigh more than 50kg and lead a sexually safe lifestyle, you can come to a clinic and register as a blood donor.

You can’t donate blood right now if you have:

• Low blood pressure
• High blood pressure
• Low haemoglobin (iron)
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Recently had surgery
• Are taking certain medications
• HIV positive
• had sex with, or worked as, a commercial sex worker in the past six months
• been treated for a sexually transmitted disease in the past twelve months
• had more than one sexual partner in the past six months, or had casual sex or sex with someone whose sexual background is unknown
• ever injected with drugs or substances not prescribed by a doctor.

Donate regularly

If you are donating blood for the first time, your red blood cells won’t get used.

Your plasma gets quarantined until your next donation. If all tests come back negative after your second donation, the quarantined plasma from your first donation will be used.

This also applies if you haven’t donated blood for a while.

Once you have made three donations and your blood still tests negative for sexually transmissible diseases, all the components of your blood gets used.

You have to donate blood regularly!

People can donate blood every 56 days.

A regular donor is someone who has made three or more donations in a year.

>> Meet the top players in the North Coast property industry. See our Property People feature.

>>> Looking for a church? Check out our Churches on the North Coast feature. 

Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 061 718 4438.

Please read our WhatsApp broadcast list disclaimer.
Join us on BBM at 59015786
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.