During the Nationwide Lockdown key services
will still be available. One of these services will be the Healthcare Sector.
These men and women will work tirelessly to
ensure our wellbeing. SANBS will also be operating during this time as blood is
a precious commodity.
The South African National Blood Service
(SANBS) has released the following:
The South African National Blood Service
(SANBS) welcomes the necessary measures announced by the President, His
Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, on Monday evening, to save lives and slow the
spread of the COVID-19 virus.
This should not discourage members of the
public from donating lifesaving blood as we tackle this global health pandemic
as a nation during this difficult period when our country needs you the most.
As an essential service within South
Africa, the SANBS therefore appeals to donors from all blood groups to continue
donating blood to prevent blood stocks running critically low and placing the
lives of our fellow South African at risk.
All of our donor centres will remain open
with extended operating hours to accommodate social distancing measures.
Our extended operating hours will be
between 08:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and 08:00 to 14:00 on weekends. Shopping
mall donor centres remain accessible, and mobile drives will be set up at large
grocery stores to accommodate more donors. Appointments can be made directly
with your nearest donor centre to avoid queuing at the donor centre.
The SANBS has taken precautionary measures
to ensure that the people who utilise our facilities are protected. We are assessing
donors at all entry point to our facilities and mobile sites. We have also
equipped all sites with additional antiseptic sprays and alcohol-based
wipes.
“Our trained healthcare practitioners
operating in the field have been equipped with the necessary information to
identify symptoms that may indicate COVID-19 infection, and should a donor not
be feeling well, or exhibit any flu-like symptoms or signs of infection, they
will not be permitted access our facilities,” said Dr Jackie Thomson, SANBS Medical Director.
While travel to our various donor centres
will be considered essential travel, our regular donor deferral periods will
still apply. Additionally, as precautionary measures and to ensure the safety
of blood and blood products during this time, the following deferrals remain in
effect:
Head Office or Zone 1 Constantia Boulevard
Constantia Kloof Ext 22, 1709
Postal Address: Private Bag X14,
Weltevreden Park, 1715
Tel: 011 761 9000
Fax: 0866747666 Email:
customerservice@sanbs.org.za
www.sanbs.org.za
• people who have travelled to affected
countries outside of South Africa will be deferred for 21 days
• people with confirmed cases of
Coronavirus infection will be deferred for 28 days from the date of complete
clearance of symptoms and
• people who have been in close contact
with confirmed or probable Coronavirus cases will be deferred for 21 days from
the last date of contact.
Importantly, as is normal practice when
donating blood, we encourage donors to delay donation if they are exhibiting
any flu-like symptoms or signs of infection until they are in good health.
During this difficult time let us head the
call of our President: “In the days, weeks and months ahead, our resolve, our
resourcefulness and our unity as a nation will be tested as never before. I
call upon all of us, one and all, to play our part. To be courageous, to be
patient and above all, to show compassion.”
We can all play our part to save a life by
donating blood.
About the SANBS
The South African National Blood Service
(SANBS) is an independent non-profit organization, and one of the leaders in
the discipline of blood transfusion. SANBS operates in eight out of nine
provinces in South Africa (with the exception of the Western Cape, which is
serviced by the Western Province Blood Transfusion Service). It also provides
crucial support to countries in the SADC region.
SANBS supplies over one million blood
products annually and is rated among the top blood services in the world. This pedigree comes, as a result of
world-class testing and collection protocols which ensure that the blood which
is transfused is always of top quality.
The blood is processed into its constituent
components; red blood cells, plasma and platelets therefore in principle a
single blood donation can save a minimum of three lives.
