Chronicle Editor
Angela Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
THE National Blood Services of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has embarked on a blood donation campaign targeting the southern region in an effort to boost its stocks ahead of the Easter and Independence holidays next month.
The forthcoming public holidays are usually characterised by increased travel thereby exposing people to the risk of accidents whose victims might require blood transfusion services.
The NBSZ’s blood bank boosting activities have since 2020 been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic as some of the planned donation outreaches had to be cancelled due to lockdowns.
The ongoing vaccination programme means those that have been vaccinated cannot donate blood for two weeks.
In an interview, NSBZ southern region blood donor co-ordinator, Mr Sifundo Ngwenya, said they were taking advantage of schools opening to collect blood and boost their stocks.
“Schools are now in full swing as well as factories and other areas where we normally go for blood collection.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected us for close to two years.
We are not up to the levels of blood that we desire which should be a minimum of five-day supply but what is encouraging is that the blood stocks are improving each day,” he said.
Mr Ngwenya said the gap was slowly being closed and the stocks were about 80 percent of the minimum five- day supply they require.
“As we look forward to the independence holiday and schools closing, we are hoping that all the plans and strategies that we have put in place are going to raise the bar in the blood bank so that at least it is able to have the five-day supply, which is the minimum we require at any given time,” he said.
Mr Ngwenya commended uniformed forces and faith-based organisations for continuing to lead in blood donations saying efforts were underway to continue engaging them in coming blood donation driven campaigns.
“We have engaged uniformed forces and faith-based organisations who continue to be our leading blood donors.
Members of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church have been very instrumental and in our last blood collection with them, we had an excess of about 230 to 250 blood units,” said Mr Ngwenya.
He said they will in the coming week move to other SDA districts in areas such as Inyathi and Tsholotsho.
“We are also working well with our ‘Pledge 25’ club members, a group made of out of school youths who pledged to donate 25 blood units in their lifetime and they are doing so well to make sure that our blood stocks are maintained,,” said Mr Ngwenya.
Online Reporter