The national blood bank called for eligible donors, saying its stocks dropped to alarming levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Picture: SANBS.
JOHANNESBURG – The South African Blood Service on Tuesday warned thousands of lives were at risk due to a critical nationwide blood shortage.
The national blood bank called for eligible donors, saying its stocks dropped to alarming levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The service said it particularly needed people in blood groups O and B to come forward and donate.
Spokesperson Khensani Mahlangu said at least 3,500 units of blood was needed to meet the national demand.
“We are currently experiencing a critical blood shortage, and this puts a lot of lives immediately at risk. Our greatest challenge at the moment is sourcing venues for mobile blood drives and we’ve noticed that corporates, schools and universities are very apprehensive about hosting us so we are reaching out to the public to make available spaces where they feel we could host our mobile blood drives.”
Mahlangu said a single unit of blood could save up to three lives.
Less than 1% of South Africans are active blood donors.
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