Only 1 in 140 South Africans donate blood , but hospitals need 3 500 units every day. As National Blood Donation Month kicks off, South Africans are urged to overcome the alarming blood donor shortage that puts lives at risk.
Every day, thousands of South Africans enter hospitals needing something that cannot be manufactured, imported at short notice or replaced by modern medicine.
They need blood.
Yet despite the critical role blood plays in saving lives, only one in every 140 South Africans donates blood regularly, placing enormous pressure on a system that requires a constant and reliable supply to support trauma care, surgery, cancer treatment and emergency medical procedures.
As South Africa marks National Blood Donation Month this June, culminating in World Blood Donor Day on June 14, healthcare professionals are calling on more South Africans to become regular donors and help address a growing challenge facing the country's healthcare system.
