Blood reserves ‘stable’
The Namibia Blood Transfusion Service (NamBTS) says blood reserves have gradually improved across the country after the blood bank reported a critical shortage at the turn of the new year."NamBTS is currently experiencing a stable blood stock level, with our reserves at a five-day blood stock level.
“We would like to thank all blood donors who have donated over the January period and our crucial stakeholders for assisting us in recovering from the critical shortage. We also welcomed more than 700 new blood donors, who donated for the first time in January, to our family of lifesavers," Titus Shivute said earlier this week.
Early this year, the blood bank announced that it only had a two-day level, which is the lowest its stock has been in four years.
It attributed the shortage to a severe need for blood over the festive season.
"We have commenced with blood drives at schools and various other educational institutions and we project that our blood stock levels will further improve and reach the desired nine- to 12-day blood stock level by the end of February," Shivute said.
He also announced that with only 1.2% of the Namibian population donating blood annually, the transfusion service needs more Namibians of all blood types to donate regularly.
"NamBTS needs all Namibians – active donors, lapsed donors and potential donors - to bolster the national blood stocks.
“Blood group O individuals can make the biggest, immediate difference to the situation we face right now. Moreover, we ask Namibians to become regular donors [so that] we can easily maintain safe stock levels throughout the year.”