10 Apr 2022

As the country Easter holidays approaches, the public is urged to donate blood to save lives in case of emergencies.

In an interview with  a member of Women in Surgery Botswana (WISBO), Dr Kefilwe Benjamin said shortage of blood contributed to delayed critical surgical operations.

She said there was a dire need for blood hence the need for people to donate and become potential lifesavers.

Dr Benjamin said blood was needed for minor, elective, scheduled and emergency surgeries, transplants, major surgery, trauma and cancer.

She said as first hand users for donated blood, they had realised that more blood was also needed during holidays due to road accidents.

Dr Benjamin said together with her counterpart, Dr Nkhabe Chinyepi, they formed WISBO to cater for their patients’ needs and contribute to the society.

She attributed shortage of blood to people who seemed reluctant to donate blood, adding that people should be aware that COVID-19 impacted negatively on all lives and stretched hospitals to their limits.

She emphasised that some lifesaving operations could not be done without blood transfusion.

“Many times we fail to carry out surgeries because there would be no blood, recently one patients had broken bones but we had to delay the operation because of lack of blood,” said Dr Benjamin.

Furthermore, she said patients diagnosed with cancer particularly those with leukemia; need multiple transfusions to get through their treatment.

“Those undergoing chemotherapy or with bone cancer usually have lower blood levels and therefore the need for blood can last for weeks, for them the need for blood goes on and on,” she said.

Dr Benjamin said blood type O is the greatest, as it could be given to most patients, no matter their blood type, but unfortunately said Batswana never see the need to donate blood.She therefore urged everyone to make an extra effort to donate adding that the shortage was nationwide.

Dr Benjamin also highlighted that WISBO would conduct blood campaign at Princess Marina hospital on Monday, August 11.

She urged the public, families, different groups of people to come forward, adding that ‘without the generosity of blood donors, we would not be able to do the work we do each day.” ENDS