Donating a unit of this precious “gift of life” saves the lives of those in dire need of a blood transfusion. The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) has to ensure that sufficient quality blood is available in cases of emergency.
Who needs blood?
Safe blood saves lives. Thousands of people would die daily if there isn’t sufficient good quality blood in stock. When donating blood, the donor gives the receiver a precious gift that money cannot buy or science cannot create. A unit of blood donated can equal three “gifts of life” in that almost every unit of blood is separated into red blood cells, plasma and platelets.
Women haemorrhaging due to pregnancy complication, children with severe anaemia, accident victims, and surgical and cancer patients are just some examples of people who need blood.
You can literally save somebody’s life by donating blood.
Donation procedures
Blood donors have to:
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- Complete a questionnaire containing personal details
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- Answer questions relating to their health and social behaviour
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- Undergo one-on-one interviews as a follow-up to their answers
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- Have their iron (haemoglobin) level checked, blood pressure and pulse rate taken.
Each donor will be allowed to donate one unit of blood (480ml) at a time, which is easily replaced by the body.
Blood donation is safe
Donating blood is a safe and simple procedure that takes about 30 minutes. All needles are new, sterile, used only once and incinerated after use. For detailed information, phone the SANBS donor infoline on 0800 11 9031.
Source
(Revised by M van Deventer)