Sundaymail Editor
LAST week, the National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) announced that it was ratcheting up its drive to boost the national blood bank, particularly for blood group O, which is usually in high demand. Our reporter VLADIMIR DUBE (VD) spoke to NBSZ chief executive officer MS LUCY MAROVA (LM) on the national blood bank and related matters.
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VD: What are the requirements for a person to donate blood?
LM: To be eligible to donate blood, one needs to be between the age of 16 and 60 years, weigh more than 50 kilogrammes, be in good health and also lead a safe and low-risk life.
VD: Approximately how many units of blood are required annually to be able to meet national demand?
LM: NBSZ needs to collect 90 000 units of whole blood per annum to satisfy demand. Out of those collections, approximately 54 000 must be group O.
VD: Why is the demand for blood group O high?
LM: Blood group O is the blood group that can be received by anyone who needs a transfusion. It is called a universal donor. Blood group O can be transfused to individuals who fall under blood group A, blood group B and blood group AB. But the individuals who fall under blood groups A, B and AB cannot give blood for transfusion to people in blood group O.
In the general population, approximately 52 percent of Zimbabweans are in blood group O.
When an individual who is under blood group O requires blood, they may need more than one unit. That means one group O recipient may require more than one donor to get blood that satisfies the group O patient’s transfusion requirements. We, therefore, encourage blood donors, especially those who fall under blood group O, to come in their numbers and donate blood at any of our static clinics each day from Monday to Saturday.
VD: Some people who have not donated blood before are not aware of their group type. What do they need to do to know it?
LM: One can visit any medical facility and get their blood group. This can be determined in a very short space of time using rapid blood grouping test kits. NBSZ also performs blood grouping at communicated events such as exhibitions, and organisational health campaigns and programmes. NBSZ also performs blood grouping on regular blood donors each time they donate blood, and on new donors when they donate blood.
VD: What are the processes you undertake to safely store the blood you receive from donors?
LM: Blood has various components and there are different conditions that are optimum for it to stay longer than one day. Platelets, for example, are stored at around 25 degrees Celsius and they need to be constantly agitated to avoid clotting, and they expire after five days. Red blood cells (that component of blood which gives it its red colour) are stored at 40 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius and expire after 42 days.
There are other products that require frozen storage conditions.
VD: What campaigns are you currently undertaking to boost your blood supplies?
LM: NBSZ is currently in partnership with Redan Petroleum. One of the campaigns we carried out was on January 5, 2024 in Harare at Redan Avondale (Corner Cork Road and Leopold Takawira Street), in Bulawayo at Redan Southside (Corner 15th Avenue and JMN Nkomo Street), in Masvingo (Redan Pangolin, Mucheke), in Mutare (Redan Flyover) and in Gweru and Kwekwe (Redan Armon, Amaveni Road). Another Redan-supported blood drive will take place on January 12, 2024 at the Redan C-Junction in Chitungwiza.
All the Redan-supported blood drives will start at 8am and end at 4.30pm.
Every year, the NBSZ, in partnership with Redan, hosts blood drives to collect the precious liquid across the country. The Chitungwiza event will see every blood donor get a five-litre fuel coupon as a token of appreciation that can be redeemed at any Redan service station.
VD: Any last words?
LM: In Harare, the NBSZ’s fixed blood collection sites are in Belgravia and in the CBD (Central Business District). We also have several sites in Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo and other areas.
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