The Zimbabwe National Blood Service (NBSZ) which is the organisation that provides blood and related services for transfusion in the country says the national blood stocks are critically low.

The organisation urges interested members of the public to visit its nearest NBSZ clinic & donate blood in order to save lives.

Prior to the festive season NBSZ launched blood collection campaign, which ran until the first week of January 2024, and is expected to ensure the country does not run out of blood.

Speaking during the launch, NBSZ chief executive Lucy Marowa said there was a higher demand for blood during the festive season owing the increased number of road accidents.

“We are starting this second week of November and our campaign will run up to the first week of January,” she said.

“We are targeting a collection of 13 370 units throughout the country.

“We estimate that this should be enough to take us through the month of January. However, it is only possible when both adults and school leavers alike come together and donate blood.”

NBSZ operates from five branches in Harare, Bulawayo, Masvingo, Gweru and Mutare.

Schoolchildren make up the majority of the country’s blood donors, with adults accounting for about 10 percent of blood collections.

But the festive season coincides with the closure of the third school term and decreased supply owing to the public examinations held this term.

“When our collections are low during the term, if we do not take the right steps to prepare for the festive season, it means that we will go in without adequate stocks and this coupled with the heightened need for blood, is a recipe for disaster,” said Marowa.

“This is why every year we take it upon ourselves to partner with organisations, individuals who are prepared to help the nation through campaigning for more blood donors from the school leavers and adult communities for us to boost the stocks, so that we have enough blood to tide us over until schools reopen in January.”

Marowa called upon the corporate community to partner the NBSZ to increase blood donations from the adult population.

Zwnews