POLOKWANE – There are several important role players involved in the blood donation process, the most obvious of course, are donors and recipients.

But the blood collection staff, donor ambassadors and donor recruiters are just some who assist to make the blood donation engine run smoothly.

Adding to this team on a local level, is the Polokwane SANBS donor centre relations practitioner, Mompati Sebogo, who is of invaluable support.

Sebogo has been a donor relations practitioner for almost four years and says his primary function is to ensure that all matters relating to donors are attended to.

“I have to make sure that donor complaints, if any, are handled accordingly.

“Then I also have to make sure the mobile blood drives are confirmed with our site contacts and source new mobile donation drives.”

Sebogo’s duties do not end there, as he is also responsible for awareness and arranging promotional blood drives to maximise blood donation drive turnout.

He says he started donating blood in 2013 and decided to do an article on the donation process for his then company’s in-house newsletter.

“I engaged the SANBS staff and learned everything about blood donation. I became a convert donor and have been preaching the life-saving message ever since.”

Donor relations practitioners are at the heart of the blood donation process as they arrange, schedule and confirm all mobile blood drives.

Sebogo says that as a communications graduate, he was surprised by the number of statistics that they have to utilise in their daily functions.

“Beyond the life-saving aspect, it is the sense of pride that one has of knowing that tomorrow a child will be having a mother to run to, to hug and smile with all because you donated blood.”

There are several misconceptions about donating blood, such as the notion that donating is painful.

Sebogo says to donate blood is a relatively pain-free process, but the initial prick of the needle might give a jab of pain. After that, the process is pain-free.

“I hear some silly fears, like ‘if I donate blood, I will run out of blood’ or ‘I am afraid of fainting’.

“Your one unit of donated blood can save up to three lives, lives saved by you spending 20-30 minutes of your day.

“Schools, businesses and churches are extremely important in the blood donation process as there are a lot of people who can donate in one place.”

Sebogo encourage everyone to get involved, if not by donating, then by becoming an ambassador for blood donation by encouraging your friends and families to take up the mantle of blood donation on your behalf.