World Blood Donor Day: You can save a life!
14 June is World Blood Donor Day. Here is how your blood can save someone's life.
It is reported that every two seconds, someone needs blood.
Currently, the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is running low on blood stocks.
"Throughout November and December, we experienced very low bloodstock, we struggled with blood donors coming in at the moment we are on less than three days bloodstock and the situation is dire and we really need help from South Africans," SANBS’s Khensani Mahlangu told East Coast Radio.
According to SANBS, these are some of the conditions or people that might need blood:
- Women haemorrhaging due to pregnancy complication and other gyneacological complications
- Premature babies
- Children with severe anaemia
- Accident trauma patients
- Surgical and cancer patients
READ: SANBS calls for blood donations
Without having enough blood stock, lives would be lost.
"Thousands of patients would die daily if there is insufficient quality blood in stock," states the SANBS site.
Just one unit of blood can save up to three lives.
"When one donates blood, they give patients the gift money cannot buy or science cannot create. A unit of blood can save up to three lives as blood is separated into red blood cells, plasma and platelets," says the organisation.
The blood donation process takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.
To better prepare yourself to donate blood, Red Cross Blood recommends that you have a good night's sleep the night before your donation, eat healthy foods, and drink extra liquids.
After you have donated blood, the SANBS recommends that you drink liquids for at least four to six hours, avoid strenuous physical exercise or heavy lifting with the arm used for donating for two hours, and do not smoke for at least half an hour after donation.
Click here to check where you can go and donate blood.
READ: Baby Brunch Video: World Blood Donor Day isn’t all blood, sweat & tears
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