More blood needed to meet demand for patients in hospitals and medical centres – NamBTS
The country is in need of 160 blood donations daily to meet the demand for patients in hospitals and medical centres across the country, an executive said last week.
Namibia has recently been experiencing blood shortages due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns, Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia (NamBTS) marketing officer, Salmi Shigwedha said.
On Saturday, the NamBTS hosted two blood donation clinics in Windhoek and another one in Swakopmund, trying to build up the stocks.
Shigwedha said currently blood stocks are sufficient for 7 days.
Namibia’s blood stocks generally have been low due to COVID-19 restrictions over the past two years, she said adding that she is hopeful that with the reopening of schools and relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, blood stocks will gradually be replenished.
Blood donations help save the lives of patients such as mothers who bleed excessively during childbirth, cancer patients as part of their treatment and patients who are involved in trauma incidents, and those who require various surgeries to mention but a few, Shigwedha concluded.
