Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter
The National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) officially launched its festive season blood collection campaign on Friday, urging the public to donate blood to meet the heightened demand during the period.
The festive season often sees increased demand for blood due to road traffic accidents and other emergencies.
Speaking at a press briefing in Harare, NBSZ chief executive officer, Mrs Lucy Marowa, highlighted the organisation’s achievements and goals for 2024.
“NBSZ targeted to collect 88 430 units of whole blood in 2024. From January to November, the target was 80 970 units, and we achieved 71 544, which is an 88 percent success rate,” said Mrs Marowa.
“The total collections for 2023 were 70 118. Our 2024 collections to date have already surpassed this figure. For December 2024, our target is to collect 7,460 units of whole blood.”
Mrs Marowa urged motorists to exercise caution during the festive season to help reduce road traffic accidents, which often contribute to increased blood demand.
“The travelling public should exercise extreme caution and strive to prevent road accidents,” she said.
“Road traffic incidents put additional pressure on the already constrained supply of blood and blood products, a trend that is typical during this time of the year.”
Online Reporter