THE best gift you can give someone this holiday season is the gift of life.
During the festive, people are often travelling and don’t have time to donate blood.
This has led the Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) to launch a blood donation campaign in anticipation of what is usually a challenging time for blood donation.
The organisation’s spokeswoman, Marike Gevers, has appealed to all eligible and potential donors to give the biggest gift this festive season by donating blood.
“We need to maintain a five-day blood stock level in order to supply the Western Cape with a sufficient blood supply. Blood stock levels in the Western Cape tend to decline during the festive season due to various reasons. One such reason could be that regular blood donors go on holiday and perhaps do not attend their blood donation clinic,” she said.
You must be SIGNED IN to read comments
“Blood is transfused every day in hospitals to patients in need. It is not only used for trauma and road accidents but also for scheduled operations, during childbirth and for patients suffering from various illnesses, such as cancer and blood diseases.
“This festive, our theme is ‘You’ve got so much to give, blood donation only takes 30 minutes of your time, and you can save up to three lives with one donation’. Staying with the giving theme, the WCBS will be giving all donors who successfully donate a unit of blood a small token of appreciation this festive.
“The WCBS will begin handing out sunscreen to donors on 16 December. (While supplies last). A person who is between the ages of 16 and 75, weighing 50kg or more, is in good health and leads an active lifestyle may be eligible to donate.”
