Midlands hit by blood shortage

GWERU — National Blood Service of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has been hit by a significant shortage of blood
for this festive season due to poor turn-out of donors.

NBSZ Midlands Planning and Recruitment Officer and Blood Donor Coordinator Agrrey Ngazana
confirmed that they have been affected by examinations since most of their donors are learners who
failed to make blood donations due to a tight end-of-year examinations schedule.

NBSZ supplies blood to 14 hospitals around the Midlands province.

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, NBSZ had to shift to the adult population for blood
donations, due to closure of schools since they are the biggest source of blood.

Currently, our stocks are a bit on the low side because they have been affected by the external, and
internal examinations in schools.

We collect 75 percent of our blood from school-going children so now that they have been writing
examinations very few of them managed to donate, NBSZ Midlands Planning and Recruitment
Officer said.

As a result of the shortage and an expected rise in demand for blood during the festive season which
is characterised by increased accidents, the NBSZ has put in place a youth donor-day campaign as a
counter measure. They are hoping to get a favourable response and ensure that they meet their
mission and objectives of providing blood especially during the critical times of the festive season.

We have put measures in place in which we are trying to collect about 18 000 units of blood as a
nation for the festive season as it was said by our Chief Executive Officer when she launched the
festive season campaign.

“When we visit a place, we expect a target of at least 40 units a day, so all the visits that we do from
now we expect to get 40 units and above so that we make 200 units per week until we get to the
Christmas period.

“For the festive season, we need five days’ supply every day and our collection versus distribution is
28 units distributed every day which we are supposed to have in stock daily," Ngazana added.
The youth donor-day campaign is fighting against donor apathy targeting 300 units from youths out
of school and giving an opportunity to those examination candidates who failed to donate.

In Chirumanzu, NBSZ managed to collect 26 units against a set target of 30 units.

Our biggest challenge is donor apathy, we have very few donors of about 300 registered donors in
Gweru alone which is a very few number so we are encouraging all blood donors and the would-be
blood donors to use our static clinic and give blood and everyone must take responsibility to recruit
blood donors, added Ngazana.

Delice Mukudzeishe Hove, who is one of the campaign team, acknowledged the impact of the youth-
donor day month campaign to be yielding promising results.

The campaign so far has scored promising results. The response from donors is quite satisfactory as
50 percent were promising to come and donate though some confirmed to have left the country,"
Mukudzeishe said.

A 59-year-old Edward Mekail Mwase, who has donated 155 times since 1987, has never regretted
his voluntary donation of 69.75 litres of blood as it is his dream to continue saving lives.
He encouraged others to consider donating blood to increase blood stocks.

From 2018, patients at public facilities get free blood transfusions. The NBSZ is now providing the
cross match of blood to speed the transfusion process to patients.

The blood donations help patients undergoing surgery and receiving treatment for cancer and blood
diseases such as leukemia continue to receive the life-giving transfusions.