The time to donate blood is now
The Christmas period is always a pressurised time of the year for the SA National Blood Service (SANBS).
Staff at the Boksburg donor centre, situated at the East Rand Square shopping centre in Bentel Road, would like to remind the public of why group O blood donors are so special and of the minimum requirements to be a blood donor.
Requirements
- You are between the ages of 16 and 65, for first-time donors.
- You weigh a minimum of 50kg.
- You are in good health.
- You lead a low-risk lifestyle.
- You consider your blood safe for transfusion.
- You have had a balanced meal within four hours of donating blood.
- You have not donated blood in the last 56 days.
- Your pulse is between 50 and 100 regular beats per minute.
- Your blood pressure is below 180 systolic (first number) and below 100 diastolic (second number) (180/100mmHg) and above 100 systolic (first number) and above 60 diastolic (second number) (100/60mmHg).
- Your haemoglobin level is 12.5 g/dL or above. A screening test ensures that your blood pressure and haemoglobin levels are within a safe range for you to donate.
Did you know?
- Thousands of patients would die daily if there were insufficient quality blood in stock. When you donate blood, you give patients the gift money cannot buy and science cannot create.
- A unit of blood can save up to three lives, as blood is separated into red blood cells, plasma and platelets.
- You can participate in a number of targeted donation programmes that address specific needs of patients, such as plasma apheresis donations, autologous donations and bone marrow donations. Contact your nearest donor centre for more information.
Why is O group blood so special?
While patients in dire need of blood transfusion depend on donors of all blood groups to donate safe blood regularly, group O blood is often in greater demand.
Group O blood type is extraordinary because it is the most versatile of all blood groups. Adequate supplies of O blood are vital for two reasons:
1. More people have group O blood and only a group O donor can help a group O patient.
2. Type O blood can be given to patients of other ABO blood groups, regardless of their blood type, as the red cells in type O blood have neither antigen A nor antigen B.
In medical emergencies, when urgent blood transfusions are required, there may be little time to determine a patient’s blood type. Group O blood then comes to the rescue, as it can usually be safely transfused to patients of other blood groups.
Group O blood is also used in remote hospitals where there are insufficient facilities to determine a patient’s blood group.
Donors of group O blood are therefore referred to as ‘universal donors’.
Group O blood saves the lives of newborn babies
Babies born with blood disorders may also need immediate blood transfusions to save their lives.
In some cases, difficulties may occur in determining the blood groups of these infants. In such cases, group O blood can play a crucial role in saving a baby’s life.
Babies also need ‘fresher’ blood than other patients.
While red blood cells stored for up to 42 days can be transfused to most adult patients, only blood less than five days old may be used for transfusion to newborns – or, in exceptional cases, when babies need transfusions while still in the womb (intra-uterine transfusions).
So, ‘outstanding Os’, come forward and donate blood!
- TAKE NOTE
The Boksburg donor centre is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am to 5pm, on Wednesdays from 10am to 7pm, and on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm.
Contact the centre on 011 826 5844.
