05 Jul 2022

 

 

Access to safe blood is still the privilege of a few, says Ministry of Health deputy permanent secretary.

  Dr Onalenna Seitio-Kgokgwe, who is responsible for health services monitoring and evaluation as well as quality assurance, said adequate supply of safe blood could only be assured through regular donations by voluntary unpaid donors. 

 She was addressing guests on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day commemoration in Molepolole recently.

  Dr Seitio-Kgokgwe said most low and middle-income countries struggled to make safe blood available because donations were low and testing equipment  scarce. 

As a result 42 per cent of blood was collected in high-income countries which was home to only 16 per cent of the world’s population, she said.

  The deputy permanent secretary hailed blood donors for continuing to donate to patients who needed transfusion at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic despite limited mobility and other challenges.

   The extraordinary effort during a time of unprecedented crisis, she said, highlighted the crucial role of well-organised, committed voluntary non-remunerated blood donors in ensuring a safe and sufficient supply during normal and emergency times.

 Dr Seitio-Kgokgwe said Botswana realised a slight improvement in blood collection during in  2021 with a total of 24 000 units collected compared to 23 274 the previous year.

She said the improvement was attributable to COVID-19 pandemic management and opening of the economy.

 Turning to the commemoration, Dr Seitio-Kgokgwe explained that it was aimed at showing gratitude to blood donors and raising awareness about the global need for safe blood and ways in which all could contribute.

A regular blood donor, Mr Ofentse Linchwe, who revealed that he had donated 40 times, thanked fellow donors for ensuring that the blood bank never ran dry.

“It is a great day for us to look back to where we are coming from. It is also worth appreciating something that money can’t buy,” he said.

Mr Linchwe also thanked the Ministry of Health for decentralising blood donation by opening branches in other parts of the country.

 It was time communities participated in blood donation, he said. Blood recipient, Ms Lillian Ramoipone testified that her life was saved through the blood bank after she was diagnosed with low blood pressure.

 Ms Ramoipone said although she had to wait for quite some time for a match she was completely healed after a blood transfusion.

“I am a living testimony that blood is life,” she said emphasising the importance of donating blood.

The day was celebrated under the theme: Donating blood is an act of solidarity, join the effort and save lives. ENDS