10 Oct 2016

Technical head of Botswana National Blood Transfusion, Mr Keobiditse Radisowa says blood is a scarce, very precious and critical commodity.  

Giving remarks during the Golden Mall Awards at the National Blood Transfusion offices in Gaborone, Mr Radisowa said blood and blood products were greatly used for complex medical and surgical procedures such as those involving cancer.

 He also said transfusion of blood and blood products helped patients suffering from life-threatening conditions to live longer and support complex medical and surgical procedures.

“Transfusion of blood and blood products is an intergral and essential part of patient management and it greatly helps to save millions of lives every year,” Radisowa said.

He highlighted that their target is 40 000 units of blood per year to meet the demand but they only managed to collect 27 000 units of blood from voluntary and non-remunerated blood donors and that was far below the intended target.

Radisowa added that The National Blood Transfusion Service also raised awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure quality, safety and availability of blood and blood products. 

He stated that there was an increasing need for blood and blood products nationally in health facilities.

He also encouraged regular blood donors to continue giving blood and those people in good health, who had never given blood to begin doing so particularly the young people. 

He further said voluntary blood donation system played an important part in encouraging caring for one another.

Radisowa said the Ministry of Health and Wellness would continue to put more efforts to ensure that blood collection was improved. ENDS