By Edward Makuzva
As the festive season approaches, the National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is spreading a holiday cheer with a vital mission: to collect lifesaving blood donations.
The 2024 Festive Season Blood Drive is a timely reminder of the importance of giving back to the community, and NBSZ is calling on all eligible donors to roll up their sleeves and make a difference.
With the demand for blood typically increasing during the holiday period, this campaign aims to ensure a steady supply of blood for patients in need.
The National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has set an ambitious target to collect 88,430 units of whole blood in 2024, according to Chief Executive Officer Lucy Mary Marowa.
This goal was announced during a recent media briefing in Harare, where Marowa outlined the organization’s plans to meet the increasing demand for blood in the country.
“As from January – November 2024, the NBSZ had set a target to collect 80,970 whole blood units. Despite falling short, the organization successfully collected 71,544 units, achieving 88% of its target for the period. Notably, this also represents 81% of the NBSZ’s annual target of 88,430 whole blood units.
“The National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has already surpassed its 2023 blood collection total of 70,187 units, with 2024 collections currently standing at 71,544 units.
“As the festive season approaches, the NBSZ has set a target to collect 7,460 whole blood units in December 2024. To achieve this goal, the organization will be hosting 85 Pledge 2025 (P25) Blood Drives across the country, in addition to partnering with corporations and communities.
NBSZ static clinics will remain open for walk-in blood donors throughout the festive season, except for the Masvingo branch. The clinics will only be closed on public holidays, which include December 25 and 26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
” NBSZ mobile teams will be conducting blood drives at various locations, which will be announced on the organization’s social media platforms.
“We urge all eligible donors to come forward and support this critical initiative,” said Marowa, CEO of NBSZ.
In addition to the static clinics, Marowa highlighted that NBSZ mobile teams will also be conducting blood drives at multiple locations across the country. To stay informed about these upcoming events, the public is encouraged to follow NBSZ’s social media platforms for regular updates on dates, times, and venues.
Speaking at the same event , NBSZ Team Leader of Blood Donor Coordinators, Tichaona Saira made a passionate appeal to the media to help mobilize the Zimbabwean public to come out in large numbers and donate blood, a gesture that can help save countless lives.
Saira emphasized that the media’s new focus should be to encourage individuals to take ownership of blood donation.
“The message should be clear: blood donation is a collective responsibility and a vital part of our culture,” he said.
Saira also urged the traveling public to exercise extreme caution on the roads to prevent accidents, which often put a strain on the already limited blood supply, particularly during the festive season.