By Staff Reporter
THE National Blood Services of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is expecting to stock 7 460 units of blood in a bid to maintain adequate stocks ahead of the festive season.
Speaking to journalists Friday, the CEO of the National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ), Lucy Mary Marowa said the NBSZ targeted to collect 88430 units of whole blood in 2024.
She said from January to November 2024, the target was to collect 80 970 whole blood units.
The actual number of collections from January to November 2024 is 71544. This is 88% (71544/ 80970) achievement for January to November 2024. This is also 71544/88430 which is 81% achievement of the annual target.
“Total collections for 2023 were 70187. 2024 collections to date have already surpassed 2023 collections. The target for December 2024, the festive season month is 7460 whole blood units. The NBSZ festive season period runs from mid-November to mid-January. For easy handling of statistics, the target for the festive season is summarily the target collections for December.
“Blood collections will target 85 Pledge 2025 (P25) Blood Drives nationwide, Corporations, and communities. NBSZ static clinics throughout the country will be open for walk-in blood donors except the Masvingo branch. The clinics will remain open and only close during public holidays. The public holidays are Wednesday 25 December 2024 and Thursday 26 December 2024 and Wednesday 1 January 2025,” Marowa said.
She revealed that the NBSZ mobile teams will also be carrying out blood drives in various locations which will be communicated on NBSZ social media platforms.
Tichaona Saira, the NBSZ Team Leader of Blood Donor Coordinators, urged the media to encourage the Zimbabwe population to donate blood in their numbers.
“Their new thrust should be asking the question: when last did you donate blood? They should send the message home that blood donation is the new culture and everyone’s responsibility. The travelling public should exercise extreme caution and strive to prevent road traffic accidents. Road traffic accidents will put pressure on the demand for the already constrained supply of blood and blood products which is typical of this time of the year,” Saira said
NBSZ is inviting corporates and all Zimbabweans to partner with NBSZ in the collection of blood throughout the festive season.
