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To address the low stock of blood supply during the Easter holidays, the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) this morning joined forces with Fidelity ADT Security and Gardmed Private ambulance service for an awareness campaign at the intersecton of Cape Road and William Moffett Express Way.
According to Zikhona Ruiters, Head of Donor Relations of SANBS in the Eastern Cape Current blood stocks have been lingering around 3.5 days for an extended period. "The current levels are insufficient for us to ensure that safe blood is always available for patient treatment, especially considering the Easter long weekend," said Ruiters.
While donation sites will not be operating on Good Friday, most donation sites will be open on Saturday and throughout the long weekend. SANBS urges everyone who is eligible to donate blood to spare 30 minutes of their time to give the gift of life and help stabilise blood stock levels by visiting their nearest donor sites or mobile blood drive.
SANBS is also running a new campaign #WeAreThePulse, to encourage all eligible donors to step forward and commit to lifelong donation and to view blood donation as a gesture that is not ‘someone else’s duty’ but one worthy of adoption.
"#WeAreThePulse targets all donors, and we hope it will spark renewed enthusiasm for blood donation, especially among the youth. The campaign is rooted in the spirit of Ubuntu, inspiring South Africans to get personally involved in saving lives by reminding everyone that ‘I am because you are’," said Ruiters.
To be eligible to donate blood, one must be between the ages of 16 and 75, weigh more than 50kg and be in good health. If you meet these requirements, find your nearest donation site by contacting 0800 11 9031, visiting the SANBS website and/or reaching out and follow SANBS on its official social media platforms: Twitter (@theSANBS); Facebook (@SANBS) and Instagram (@thesanbs).
