BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is targeting to collect 13 370 units of blood as the demand increases during the festive season due to home and road accidents.
This was revealed by NBSZ Chief Executive Officer Lucy Marowa on Monday as she launched her organisation’s festive season campaign for blood collections.
The campaign started on the second week of November and ends on the first week of January next year, throughout the country and NBSZ is targeting to have 81 sessions.
Marowa revealed that NBSZ operates from five branches, namely Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Gweru and Mutare.
And from these five sites, they are targeting 28 sessions in Harare, 10 sessions each in Bulawayo and Gweru, 17 sessions in Masvingo and 16 in Mutare and they hope to collect a total 13 370 units.
NBSZ estimates that these units should be enough to take us through to the month of January.
“Year in, year out, we always do these festive season campaigns. Why do we do it, because year in, year out, statistics show us that during the festive season, the need for blood is heightened.
“The need for blood is heightened due to accidents not only on the roads but even in our households.
“Festive season is a time for merrymaking and with merry making, comes a lot of accidents that happen in the home; accidents that also happen on the roads as people travel to and from their homes to the various places to meet with friends and family.
“And with that, there is a burden on the blood supply. And as National Blood Service Zimbabwe, it is our responsibility to make sure that the nation has adequate stocks of blood during this festive season,” said Marowa.
She added that the need for more blood during the festive season also coincides with the closure of schools after the third term.
Marowa further added that this is a difficult time for blood collections because this is the time when Form Fours and Sixes are writing their examinations and such, blood collections are low from the schools.
“When our collections are lower during the term and we do not take the right step to prepare for the festive season, it means that we will get into the festive season without adequate stocks and this coupled with the heightened need for blood, is a recipe for disaster.
“Which is why as National Blood Service Zimbabwe we take it upon ourselves, year in, year out to partner with various organisations, various individuals and anyone that is prepared to help the nation through campaigning for more blood donors from the school leavers, from the adult communities in order for us to boost the stocks between the month of November and January to make sure that we have enough stocks to tide us over until schools reopen in January.
“However it is only possible when both adults and school leavers alike come together and donate blood.
“When it comes to school leavers, we will have a targeted approach where we will call them to specific sites, through our database and bring them all together, especially in the month of June, which we have dubbed our youth donor month.
“With the adults, we will specifically look at their work places, partnering with their employers and come to them as and when we can.
“Therefore we call upon the corporates community to support us in any way they can, any level of support is possible,” added Marowa.
She further revealed that corporates can support them by mobilizing a blood drive at their organisations if the numbers are sufficient.
And they can also support them through sponsoring a blood drive as Marowa reiterated “any form of sponsorship is welcome in terms of donor refreshments, tokens of appreciation, fuel for blood collection, anything and everything is welcome.”
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