Tag: Blood

Zimbabwe’s Blood Bank to collect over 13,000 Blood Units during Festive Season

Michael Gwarisa

The National Blood Services of Zimbabwe (NBSZ), has set an ambitious target to collect 13,370 blood units during the upcoming festive season, at the back of innovative programs targeting existing and new blood donors. By Michael Gwarisa The festive season in Zimbabwe is largely associated with increased road accidents that result in high demand for blood and blood products. The Festive season also coincides with school closures and depressed blood collections since schools are the blood bank’s major blood collection sources. According to NBSZ, should they meet their festive season…

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Blood For Fuel Coupons: Has The NBSZ Finally Struck The Right Code?

Michael Gwarisa

THE 2018 proclamation by the then Minister of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), Dr David Parirenytwa of a free blood initiative in all public health institutions has resulted in increased demand for the precious liquid. As a result, the country’s blood bank has been running on less than the required stocks for a prolonged period now. By Michael Gwarisa According to global blood stocks standards, a healthy blood bank should have at least five days’ supply at any given time. However, in most cases, the Zimbabwean blood bank, the National…

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Here is why Blood is expensive in Zim

Michael Gwarisa

For a long time, there has been disgruntlement from various sections of society over the highly priced precious liquid of blood in Zimbabwe. The bone of contention over years has been around the cost of blood and blood products despite the fact that the National Blood Service of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) gets blood free of charge from blood donors. By Michael Gwarisa In 2018, the Ministry of Health and Child (MoHCC), then under the regime of Dr David Parirenyatwa launched the Free Blood Initiative that would see pregnant women and vulnerable…

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Hospitals Suspend Non-Emergency Surgeries Due To Blood Shortages

Michael Gwarisa

THE blood stocks crises obtaining in the country’s health sector has pushed most major hospitals in Zimbabwe to defer non-emergency surgeries and prioritise urgent surgical cases. By Michael Gwarisa The development comes in the midst of acute blood shortages as a result of dwindling blood stocks at the blood bank which has been operating at below the required five days normal supply since the month of July. The lockdown measures have also greatly contributed to the declining stocks as blood donors could not travel to blood donation sites. According to…

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Who Urges People To Donate Blood

Healthtimes

THE World Health Organization (WHO) has called on Zimbabweans to donate blood and keep the blood bank fully stocked as it is an important health component necessary to save lives on daily basis. Staff Reporter Celebrating the World Blood Donor Day under the theme ‘Give Blood and keep the world beating, Dr Alex Gasasira,Z imbabwe WHO representative said around seven million patients in African countries require blood every year. Safe blood and transfusion are key aspects in providing quality care to save mothers haemorrhaging during child birth and people with…

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#BREAKING: Free Blood Initiative Under Siege As NBSZ Suspends Blood Coupons

Michael Gwarisa

PATIENTS in need of blood and blood products in both public and private health institutions will likely be forced to pay in United States Dollars (USD) or an exchange rate equivalent to the Old Mutual implied rate or other comparable exchange rates, following the suspension of the coupon facility which would see health institutions access blood and blood products on credit. By Michael Gwarisa The move also comes after the National Blood Service of Zimbabwe (NBS) has been making numerous calls for foreign currency injection from government to facilitate the…

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Shortage Of Blood Products: An Early Ticket To The Other World For Pregnant Women In Zimbabwe

Dr Grant Murewanhema
Young Preganant Women

WORLD over, an estimated 800 women die daily due to pregnancy related causes. The majority of these deaths occur in developing countries; the majority of which occur in Sub-Saharan Africa. Zimbabwean has one of the highest mortality rates of around 463 per 100 000; this is an estimate from yesteryears and the current standing may be worse off. By Dr Grant Murewanehma The three direct leading causes of maternal death are infection (sepsis), hypertensive disorders and bleeding before, during or after childbirth, otherwise known as obstetric haemorrhage. Obstetric haemorrhage is…

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Blood Recipient Turned Blood Donor…How Nobuhle’s Labour Encounter Turned Her Into A Blood Donating Hero

Michael Gwarisa
Nobuhle Magava

HEROES come in different packages. Some come wielding lethal shiny semi-automatic AK47 rifles and whatever latest weaponry that may be at their disposal. For some, all it takes is just a few minutes of their time and a little prick from a needle to save many lives through donating the precious liquid of blood. By Michael Gwarisa For Nobuhle Magava(45), her experience giving birth to her first child was her Damascene moment, an epiphany that made her change her perception about giving blood for the rest of her life. After…

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Blood Bank Running At Less Than 5 Days Stocks

Michael Gwarisa

THE National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ),  the country’s blood bank has run dry. By Michael Gwarisa Speaking during a Webiner Press Conference, NBSZ Public Affairs manger, Ms Esther Massundah told journalists that stocks had drastically been depleted over the knockdown period owing to a myriad of factors chief among them being lack of funding to procure critical consumables. We are currently running low in terms of our blood stocks. We have got blood stocks that are below the five days, which is the standard requirement of the blood bank to…

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#JUSTIN: Blood Shortages Hit Zim

Michael Gwarisa

THE National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) says blood supplies has been greatly reduced during the Lockdown period at the back of shortages of critical imported consumables such as test kits and blood bags, owing to serious funding and procurement challenges. By Michael Gwarisa The Blood Bank’s Public Affairs Manager, Ms Esther Massundah in a statement said due to the to the COVID-19 pandemic, the procurement of these critical items has been delayed due to logistics challenges caused by international travel restrictions, which has led to the scarcity of cargo flights. Most…

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