In a statement, the SANBS Head of Marketing in the Free State and Northern Cape, Jana Wallace, says the celebration kickstarted the National Blood Donor Month in 2021 with a special focus on honouring the dedicated donors who heed the humanitarian call to donate blood while inspiring others to do the same. The World Blood Donor Day has come at a time that the country is experiencing a unique set of circumstances that has brought the world to its knees (Covid-19). SANBS has ensured that it continues to provide blood for transfusions in hospitals, as the need for blood has not slowed down.

“This year, World Blood Donor Day finds us recovering from a unique set of circumstances that brought the world to its knees. Even in a pandemic, our annual observations have in no way lost their importance. With a whole host of people still receiving blood transfusions in hospitals, the need for blood has not slowed down. SANB supplies over one million blood products annually and is rated among the top blood services in the world,” said Wallace. 

According to SANBS CEO Ravi Reddy, the growing realisation of donating blood is a life-saving act of solidarity across the world, and people are encouraged to donate blood, as it is a crucial part of any healthcare system. People are today encouraged to take up a cause and become life-savers by pledging to donate blood regularly.

The task to get donors committed has been described as a great challenge by SANBS, to get people motivated to donate blood through hearing or reading stories from people whose lives have been saved by blood transfusions.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi