The woman giving birth. The cancer patient. The man undergoing open heart surgery. The Easter weekend road accident victim.<\/p>\n
All of these people \u2013 and those who love them \u2013 rely on one thing: blood donations.<\/p>
Their lives, their futures, are at stake.<\/p>\n
But South Africa\u2019s blood stock is currently desperately low, and all of them are at risk.<\/p>
\u201cOur national blood supply is currently at just 1.6 days Group O stock, amounting to just over 1 500 units of O blood available around the country,\u201d said Silungile Mlambo, national marketing manager for the South African National Blood Service (SANBS).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation, simply, is critical. We need South Africans \u2013 active donors, lapsed donors and potential donors \u2013 to stand together right now to bolster the national blood stock.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we need sufficient blood stock to cope with periods such as the Easter weekend, by far the greatest proportion of blood is required in other situations, such as in childbirth and for cancer patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo many people in life-threatening situations require blood. It\u2019s what saves that haemorrhaging mother\u2019s life, so that she can raise and love the baby she has just brought into the world. It\u2019s what saves someone suffering complications during major surgery. It\u2019s what helps that cancer patient endure and survive, treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s the point: it\u2019s not just blood. It\u2019s saving people\u2019s lives, through a simple, easy donation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The SANBS is, therefore, making an earnest appeal for South Africans to step forward and make a donation of blood.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than that, however, the SANBS appeals to South Africans to become regular donors. By donating blood only four times a year, we can easily avoid situations such as the one in which we find ourselves,\u201d said Mlambo.<\/p>\n
To find out more about donating blood and to locate your nearest SANBS donor centre, visit sanbs.org.za<\/a>\u00a0or call 0800 11 90 31.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other articles you may be interested in:<\/p>\n Malaria is a preventable threat to SA\u2019s blood supply<\/a><\/p>\n