Namibia’s blood supply dwindles to two days: Urgent appeal for donors

Namibia only has a two-day blood supply left.

Health ministry executive director Ben Nangombe says this will affect treatment of patients at state hospitals.

The severe shortage was confirmed by Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia (NamBTS) spokesperson Frieda Asino while speaking to Desert Radio yesterday.

Namibia has been facing a severe blood shortage, with reserves at the beginning of the festive season at 25% of the required levels.

Ahead of Christmas, NamBTS reported that the country needed at least 200 units of blood daily to meet medical demands.

NamBTS then said if donors did not respond to their call, Namibia could be heading into very difficult times.

“Current blood stock levels are extremely low. We have between one and two days of blood stock which means that the entire country only has between one and two days of blood stock left. That is not healthy,” Asino said.

According to her, what they deem “healthy blood stock levels” is 12 days of blood.

She said regular donors being on holiday for the festive season is a major cause for the decline in blood stock levels.

“There are so many patients in the hospital who are awaiting urgent and critical blood transfusions and that has caused the shortage of blood supply in the country,” Asino said.

Former minister of health Bernard Haufiku says it is important for medical professionals to keep encouraging young, healthy people to donate blood.

He says the decline in the blood stock levels can be attributed to the fact that alcohol consumption goes up during the festive season.

“The idea should be that just before the festive season, go on a campaign and try to educate people on how important it is, especially for young, healthy people to keep donating blood,” Haufiku says, adding that he does not think it will be easy.

Nangombe encourages members of the public to do their civic duty and donate blood. He says the generosity of donating blood is critical in sustaining the public health system.

“Go out and save a life because that life could be your own,” he says.

Nangombe says people who may need blood include those in motor vehicle accidents and people who need treatment for hemophilia or other ailments.

He says many treatment scenarios require blood products and adds that there is no other way to obtain blood but from a human being.

“It is an important civic duty of the public to go out and donate blood to save a life,” Nangombe says. Nangombe says if medical products are needed and they are not available, it will hinder treatment plans in both private and public sectors.

He says although some medical products can be imported, if the blood supplier in the country does not have blood then there is a problem.

“The supplier in Namibia, NamBTS, is what both the public and private sector depend on for blood, so if the products are not available then there is a problem,” Nangombe says.

The NamBTS team was at the Windhoek Central Hospital, Coca-Cola in Windhoek and at the Okahandja Mall yesterday, and today they will be at Rehoboth. Asino urges residents to make their way over to the Hermanus van Wyk Hall to save a life.

There are also mobile clinics at Ongwediva, Oshakati, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

You can contact NamBTS on 061 386 300 to find out where you can donate blood.

Police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi says the call for blood donors is a clear call from NamBTS and urges every one to take it seriously.

She says every day there are people who require blood – especially in hospitals – such as mothers giving birth or those in motor vehicle accidents.

“My call is to every Namibian who thinks they are medically fit, healthy and who are willing to donate to not hesitate but to go out and to make that difference.

The blood you are donating might one day save your life or that of your loved one,” Shikwambi says.