NamBTS: Blood running low
Donations urgently needed
The country's blood stock currently stands at five days supply - an an improvement from last week, when blood stocks were at one day.A "healthy" blood supply is said to be twelve days.
Speaking to NMH, Namibia Blood Transfusion Service (NamBTS) Education Officer Frieda Vatileni-Asino said that the service is actively looking for donors, especially those with blood group O. This is because this blood group is referred to as a ‘universal donor’, meaning that this blood can be transfused to a person of any other blood group. “However, all blood groups are equally important and are needed for transfusion to patients,” she added.
Vatileni-Asino attributes the recent low blood stocks to the holidays and the absence of donors during the holiday season. “Our donors were on holiday and the demand for blood increased, especially due to incidents that took place during the festive season. As a result, blood stocks decreased because donors could not come to donate blood as usual and regularly,” she explained.
Myth busting
Vatileni-Asino believes that there are numerous myths surrounding the entire blood transfusion process. She encourages the public to contact NamBTS directly to clear up any misunderstandings. “If you are unsure about the processes at NamBTS, I urge you to contact us. We will give you the answers you are looking for.”
She explained that a donor must meet certain criteria to ensure a safe transfusion process from start to finish for everyone involved. A donor must be between 16 and 75 years old, weigh at least 50 kg and lead a generally healthy lifestyle. There are also some steps one can take before donating to make the whole process go more smoothly. It is recommended to sleep at least 8 hours the night before and increase fluid intake on the day of donation. In addition, it is important to eat a balanced meal three to four hours before donation.
Currently, only one percent of the Namibian population are blood donors.
According to the NamBTS website, a single blood donation takes no more than 20 minutes and can save three lives. About 475ml of blood is collected during a donation, which is less than 10% of your total blood volume.
Vatileni-Asino said that each donation undergoes a rigorous testing process, including ABO blood group testing as well as testing for diseases such as hepatitis, HIV and syphilis. "There are so many rigorous procedures in place to ensure that a patient receives safe and sufficient blood at all times," she stressed.
Donate here
NamBTS has a number of permanent donation centres across the country.
In Windhoek, donations can be made at 35 Tal Street from 07:00 to 16:00 from Monday to Friday, with extended opening hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 18:00 and on the second Saturday of every month from 08:00 to 13:00. Another centre in Windhoek, at 39 Post Street Mall, is open from 08:30 to 16:00 Monday to Friday.
Other towns where donations can be made are Swakopmund (Mondays), Walvis Bay and Ondangwa (Tuesdays) and Oshakati (Thursdays). There are also mobile donation points that are regularly set up in shopping centres, businesses, schools and other establishments.
For more information, call 083 378 7000.