Blood transfusion centre to have new site

The Rhodesia Herald, July 29, 1969

THE new centre for the Salisbury and District Blood Transfusion Service, which is expected to cost about 40 000 pounds, will no longer be built in the grounds of Salisbury Central Hospital because the land there is unsuitable.

It will be built on land in Mazoe Street, next to the Audio Visual Laboratories, the chairman of the services,

Mr KJ Filer, said last night.

Mr Filer, who was giving his report to the annual meeting of the service, said the land upon which a foundation stone had been laid on August 9 last year, proved less suitable than was first thought as it intruded into the potential expansion plans for Salisbury Central.

Referring to the delay in building the centre, he said it has been decided to wait and learn new ideas in blood transfusion services, which had been brought by the service’s consultant, Dr Ben Grobbelaar, and the chief engineer, Mr R Kirk, both of the Natal Service, after their visit to Europe, America and the United Kingdom last year.

He said building operations on the new site would start well before the end of this year.

Mr Filer added that gifts in kind for the new building had been promised already. These included locks for all the doors, paint and six doors.

Reviewing the service’s finances, he said the expenditure had exceeded revenue by about 156 pounds compared with last year when revenue had exceeded expenditure by 305 pounds.

Mr Filer said 4 162 people had given blood during the year and the service’s total panel stood at about 2 000 donors for Salisbury.

But he said, the transfusion service appealed for blood of the common group, O Rhesus Positive, because it was now short of that type of blood.

LESSONS FOR TODAY

◆ Blood transfusion, which is a safe medical intervention today, has had a long and chequered history. ◆ Zimbabwe is one of the very few countries in Africa where 100 percent of the donors are voluntary and unremunerated. ◆ Zimbabwe’s blood transfusion service has also succeeded in making sure that it gives uncontaminated blood to its clients, which is a big boost for its service delivery. +263 8677 004323; +263 0242 795771