NBSZ sees light in the opening of schools

Boitumelo Makhurane, Chronicle Reporter
NATIONAL Blood Services Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is pinning hopes on the reopening of schools to improve blood collection.

The closure of schools to curb the spread of the virus Covid-19 adversely affected NBSZ blood stocks as schools and tertiary institutions contribute over 70 percent of blood to the national blood bank.

NBSZ communications officer Mr Ephraim Mubayi said since the ban on public gatherings, the blood services could not collect adequate blood.

‘‘Since the lockdown, some corporates closed while others operated with skeleton staff, we could not get adequate blood,’’ said Mr Mubayi.
He said there was hope the rate of collections would increase as schools open.

‘‘With schools now opening we hope to see an improvement in our collections because schools provide a pool of high concentration of blood donors at a single moment, so this will immediately boost our blood bank.’’

‘‘Before the pandemic we usually had adequate stocks of up 7 days stock, although in rare instances we would experience high demand for certain blood groups for instance blood group O because it is universally compatible to all types. Over 50 percent of the population is blood type O making it the most common which also reflects on the demand patterns,’’ he said.

Mr Mubayi said NBSZ remained focused on cultivating the culture of giving blood among adults especially in a time of a pandemic.

‘‘Other than schools, NBSZ collects blood from corporates, faith-based organisations (FBOs), walk in individual donors in our static clinics and through community blood drives,’’ he said.

NBSZ daily stock requirements nationally are at 315 units of blood,

NBSZ has cultivated a reliable population of blood donating youths known as the ‘‘Pledge 25’’.

The programme that was conceived by NBSZ and has been adopted by more than 80 countries worldwide. The pledge 25 is a grouping of youths who pledge to contribute 25 pints of blood post high school until the age of 30.

Last month NBSZ appealed for blood donors of all blood groups to donate blood as Covid-19 lockdown affected the donation of blood from members of the public and thus their blood stock drastically dropped. — @Boity104