21 Jun 2017

Dikgosi have been urged to encourage subjects to lead healthy lives and donate blood as national blood reserves are low.

Addressing dikgosi on Monday, National Blood Transfusion Service representative, Ms Anna Mothupi said shortage of blood at the blood bank increased mortality risks for patients who needed blood transfusion.

She decried that lives continued to be lost because blood reserve banks registered low donations from the public.  

She disclosed that the country currently needed 40 000 units of blood per annum, but they had been able to store up only 30 000 units, which was below the required amount per annum.

She emphasised that the situation was further affected by the HIV pandemic, which was at 17 per cent prevalence rate.

“We have noticed that nine per cent of the donated blood carried the HIV virus and we disposed it off,” She said.  

Ms Mothupi told Dikgosi to encourage communities to lead healthy lifestyles as blood was in short supply

She said when blood units were donated they were checked for Hepatitis A, B and C, cancer, HIV, syphilis and other possible contaminants, to avoid transfusing them to the next patient.

She added that among the aforementioned, HIV was found to be the lead cause of loss of donated blood units, thus she encouraged healthy living and for people to avoid endangering their lives by getting involved in fights and road accidents, which may lead to the need for blood transfusion.

She noted that according to statistics, blood transfusion in Botswana was needed during times of road accidents and maternal bleeding, thus she called on dikgosi to encourage communities to donate blood and help save lives.

For her part, another National Blood Transfusion Service representative, Ms Tumelo Ramalebang said on a daily basis there was always a patient who needed blood for various reasons.

She disclosed that due to shortage of blood units, surgical operations may be delayed until such a time when donors were found and patients would have no option, but to wait at home in pain.

She said they had made efforts to encourage the public to donate blood, especially in schools and universities, but there had been a decline in blood donation from 60 per cent to 40 per cent over the past three years.

She attributed these to high mobility of youth, unmotivated and disinterested population to donate, as well change in school programme, where they had limited time to collect blood units donations from students.

Kgosi Sebe Boiditswe appreciated the call from blood transfusion centre and assured the team of his support.

He also encouraged them to also educate the public on which foods to eat that stimulate blood formation in the body.

Kgosi Mosadi Seboko also assured the team of her support and encouraged them to be more cautious when dealing with the youth as she had heard of cases where people had collapsed soon after donating blood.

She added that the team must ensure that donors were not exposed to such risks.

Kgosi Modise Golekanye said indeed blood donation was critical saying recently one of his community members died because of shortage of blood.

Kgosi Marumo Seate encouraged the team to intensify its campaign given that lives were lost, adding that their digotla were open for them to do so. He also suggested the use of alcohol levy to prop up the campaigns. BOPA