THE National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has appealed for more blood donations to beef up reserves ahead of the Easter holidays, often characterised by road accidents.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
NBSZ Matabeleland region public relations officer Sifundo Ngwenya told Southern Eye last week that: “We are targeting to collect plus or minus 1 000 units of blood for the Easter holidays. This would be mobilised through partnerships we are currently having with SDA [Seventh-Day Adventist].
“Besides traditional Pledge 25 Clubs we are having, we are going to open other ones in Ntabazinduna and Tsholotsho. We are looking forward to partnering with faith-based organisations and the community. We are going to push these heavily.”
Easter holidays in Zimbabwe have been characterised by road carnage resulting in many injured people losing their lives due to blood shortages.
“We are calling for blood donors to come in their numbers and donate blood at our centres. We are also encouraging the public, from pedestrians to motorists, to respect road regulations. To those who will be having celebrations, we encourage them to do everything responsibly to avoid loss of blood,” he said.
Ngwenya said they needed especially the O type blood group, which can be used universally to patients of other blood groups. He implored community leaders around the country to encourage young people to donate blood and save lives.
