By Livingstone Mtetwa
CHIPINGE- Residents went out in numbers to donate blood during the 4 months routine National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) visit to districts and towns.
The NBSZ is an organisation mandated by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to collect, process and distribute safe and adequate blood products.
NBSZ Manicaland Province spokesperson, Nick Muparutsa, was thankful and commended the response by Chipinge Residents as the blood reserve was reportedly getting low while there is great need of the precious commodity in the country.
“The response in as far as the district is concerned is quite impressive, we are happy with how the Chipinge people have accepted the blood donation process which is a plus on our side and we are also encouraging others who have not yet donated blood to come and support us in this initiative.
“Chipinge is one of our major steakholders with quite a number of hospital of note being St Peter’s and Chipinge General Hospital as they understand the pressure associated with NBSZ thus the need to acquire blood and have adequate blood in our reserves,” added Muparutsa.
In the process, NBSZ is by all means trying to follow the WHO guidelines.
Adding to that, Muparutsa told Post On Sunday that from 2018 blood is now free in all government hospitals following the government decree that all patients in hospitals who require blood will be given for free.
The circle from one donation to the other, for males its after 3 months and 4 months for females, he said.
“We have an initiative for ‘Peer Promoters’ whereby we train high school students who stand as our foot soldiers and educate other students on the importance of donating blood and this has gone a long way in acquiring new doners and potentially lifetime doners,” he conluded.
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