Calling for blood donations

KNYSNA | BITOU NEWS - If you missed your chance to donate blood in Knysna, Sedgefield or Plettenberg Bay in the past two weeks you need not fret - there will be more opportunities in the next month.

The Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) is the independent, non-profit organisation working throughout the Western Cape to supply safe blood and blood products to all communities in the province.

Through its blood donation centres and blood drives, the WCBS aims to maintain a steady supply of blood across all eight blood groups.

However, this isn't always possible and sometimes certain blood groups' blood stores drop below the desired levels. On Tuesday 19 April, according to the WCBS website, six of the eight blood groups had sufficient blood stores - A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, and AB-.

In both the O+ and O- blood groups there were four days' worth of blood stores left. It is therefore crucial that the public come out in their numbers to support the WCBS by donating blood at any of their blood donation centres or blood drives.

Sadly there is no blood donation centre in Sedgefield, Knysna or Plett, and therefore local residents are encouraged to support blood drives whenever they take place.

The most recent blood drive was in Knysna on 12 April.

The next blood drive is however in Plettenberg Bay today, Thursday 21 April, in Market Square. Donors will be able to donate blood between 11:00 and 17:00.