With the country in lockdown, the call for blood donors is as urgent as ever.
The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is encouraging residents to continue donating blood, to prevent blood stocks running critically low and placing lives of South African patients at risk.
Donating blood is deemed essential and donors will be permitted to travel.
As an essential service, SANBS donor centres will remain open during the lockdown and have extended operating hours to accommodate social distancing measures.
The extended hours are as follows: 8am and 7pm on weekdays, 8am to 2pm on weekends.
Donor centres at shopping malls will also remain accessible, with mobile drives to be set up at large grocery stores to accommodate more donors.
You can even make an appointment at a donor centre to avoid queuing.
Precautionary measures put in place by SANBS include the assessment of donors at all entry points to facilities and mobile sites, which are equipped with additional antiseptic sprays and alcohol-based wipes.
“Our trained healthcare practitioners operating in the field have been equipped with the necessary information, to identify symptoms which may indicate Covid-19 infection, and should a donor not
be feeling well or exhibit any flu-like symptoms or signs of infection, they will not be permitted access our facilities,” said Dr Jackie Thomson, Medical Director for SANBS.
SANBS will also ensure the safety of blood and blood products with a so-called deferral, which will affect donors who have:
– Travelled to affected countries outside of South Africa – 21 days.
– Confirmed cases of coronavirus infection – 28 days from the date of complete clearance of symptoms
– Been in close contact with confirmed or probable coronavirus cases – 21 days from the last date of contact.
Any donor who exhibits flu-like symptoms or signs of infection, is urged to delay donating blood until their health has improved. “During this difficult time, let us head the call of our President: ‘In the days, weeks and months ahead, our resolve, our resourcefulness and our unity as a nation will be tested as never before. I call upon all of us, one and all, to play our part; to be courageous, to be patient above all, to show compassion’.”

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