Durban North faces blood stock crisis

DURBAN North is facing a major blood crisis as the area is currently only sitting with one day’s stock.

According to Sr Joy Pires from the Durban North Blood Donor Clinic in Kensington Square the clinic is desperately short. She said the aim is to have five to seven day’s stock.

“The main reason is that many of our regular donors have flu and so are unable to donate. We are appealing to the public to please go to their nearest blood donor centre to donate  a unit of blood,” Sr Pires said.

The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) has also declared a national emergency.

“Our blood stocks are extremely low, in particular Group O blood, the universal blood group that can be given to anyone in an emergency.   The KZN stock level is only on 1.4 days and nationally we are on 2.4 days; whereas we need five days cover to be in a healthy situation,” said Sifiso Khoza, marketing consultant for the SANBS East Coast Region.

“With winter upon us, we know that traditionally this is a time when blood collection decreases due to people contracting the flu virus and may be on medication such as antibiotics which prevents them from donating blood.  The shortages also comes about with regular schools and  tertiary institutions which contribute to 45 per cent of the blood collected being involved in mid-year examinations, followed by the winter holidays and therefore blood drives at these institutions are  virtually impossible to host,” Khoza said.

He said in times like these the SANBS has to appeal to donors to make their way to one of the closest blood drives or donor centres: “Unfortunately when the supply of blood drops, the demand does not decrease either, and approximately 3 000 units of blood is still needed by patients daily and for each day we are unable to make this target, the total units of blood that is available depletes.”

Contact the North Durban Blood Donor Centre in Kensington Square on 031 564 6070 or phone the toll free SANBS number on 0800 119 031.