31 Mar 2015

BancABC in collaboration with National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) embarked on a mission to encourage people to donate blood, with the aim of increasing blood shortage in blood reserves.

Managing director of BancABC, Mr Jitto Kurian said at the blood drive donation event in Gaborone that, this was the second time that BancABC has partnered with NBTS to raise awareness on blood donation.

He said the partnership that began in 2013 after the realisation of blood shortage in the country was highly motivated by the fact that the current blood supply was far from meeting the demand.

“The reality is that based on the World Health Organisation recommendations, Botswana should be holding 40 thousand units of blood and the reality is that as a country, we have about 20 thousand units of blood,” he said.

He further said that this blood donation awareness came at a very crucial time as they were going for Easter holidays, highlighting that there should be no shortage of blood during this particular period when the demand for blood would be at its peak.

For his part, principal recruitment officer for NBTS, Mr Joseph Moatshe said BancABC has contributed a lot by helping to disseminate the message to the mass through different medium of communication such as Facebook, newspapers and others.Mr Moatshe said they have different programmes that engage young people to donate blood such as Pledge 25 among others.

Pledge 25 program recruits young people to donate blood in large numbers, he added.He said with Pledge 25 program they train young people about the importance of blood donation, who then disseminate the information to other youths in schools and out of school youth.

Mr Moatshe indicated that Pledge 25 program was beginning to bear fruits as young people are turning up in large numbers to donate blood.

Furthermore, he said that the turn up of people in large numbers was influenced by their engagement in educating people in kgotla meetings, school assemblies and radio stations, televisions and social media about the importance of blood donation.

“Over the previous years, we received between 22 000 to 23 000 litres of blood and last year, we managed to collect 25 000 liters, and this shows people are now getting a message,” he said.

Mr Moatshe pleaded with people to donate blood to safe life. 

“The blood you donate can save your life or even your child’s life,” he said.

One youth, Seitebaleng Moletsana who donated blood for the second time, said it was important to donate blood as this could save lives of those people involved in car accidents as well as those with shortage of blood due to sickness.

 “I will continue donating blood to save lives,” she said. ENDS