SANBS urgently needs blood

Mazwide X Nxumalo

Motivate us with something to donate blood because the biscuits and juice ain’t working.

Sandra Suzie Stephenson

A massive number of people have to get family to donate because of the blood shortage. It’s bigger than money. It’s about humanity.

Jonathan Groenewald

It’s unfortunate, but we provide the blood for free to help those who are in need. But when the roles are reversed, we pay top dollars to receive blood we give for free. I used to give blood but don’t see the benefits as I must pay an arm and a leg for it. I don’t think that is right - benefitting and making a killing off our blood.

Ngcebo S Mhlongo

Do people understand that SANBS is a non-profit organisation that does not receive money from government? The money they charge for the blood is used to pay for all the costs that SANBS incurs during the process of processing the blood. The nurses who collect the blood from donors have to be paid; the equipment that is used to collect the blood has to be purchased; there are costs for transporting the blood to the lab; the technicians at the lab must be paid; there are big expensive machines that had to be bought and are serviced continuously. Also the tests that are done on the blood to make sure it’s safe are expensive (HIV tests, malaria tests, hepatitis B and C etc); storing the blood at the right temperature is expensive. Transporting the blood to the hospital is expensive; a technician has to do a cross match before you can be transfused. Water, electricity, rent, etc have to be paid. How will SANBS pay for all these things if the recipient of the blood does not pay?