admin
Thobekile Khumalo, Sunday News Reporter
NATIONAL Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has been chosen to represent the country, joining six other countries globally that will share strategies on how to ensure safe blood for transfusion during the World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) commemorations to be held in Rwanda next week.
The other five other countries that have been chosen are Rwanda, Cameroon, Belgium, Netherlands and United States of America. Speaking at a media briefing in Bulawayo on Friday, NBSZ’s public affairs manager Ms Esther Massundah said the event will be held on 14 June.
“Zimbabwe will be there to share ideas on how they manage to run especially after the rise in demand of blood as it is now available for free. However, we are also going there to learn from others through sharing of ideas,” she said.
Mrs Massundah said representing the country was testimony of the work that the organisation has done.
“Being chosen has been a great achievement for Zimbabwe and we are proud we will raise the country’s flag high. This is the second time World Blood Donor Day is held in Africa and Zimbabwe’s first time to be nominated to present at a platform of that magnitude. This shows the extent in which NBSZ has been working hard in order to provide safe and adequate blood for Zimbabweans,” she said.
Mrs Massundah said her organisation has also helped a number of countries to set up their own blood banks.
“The country is now a benchmark that has set standards for other countries in the blood transfusion sectors that is now working at international standards. We have managed to help countries like Ethiopia, Mozambique, Kenya, Botswana, Eritrea, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, Ghana and we are expecting a delegation from Sudan that will be here for two weeks,” she said.
Bongani Ndlovu