Flu forces SANBS to declare a red alert

A blood shortage alert has been declared by the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) as staff and donors have been struck down with flu, it said today.

The Inland Region has a three day supply of blood and the East Coast region a one day supply.

"If blood collections do not drastically increase by Friday, 23 June, we will have no choice but to start cancelling non-emergency surgery.

"This is always a last resort as it means that patients who may have been waiting months for surgery will now have to wait even longer," said Ravi Reddy, the SANBS's technical and donor director.

Flu hits mobile clinics hard
The annual flu epidemic has affected the intake of blood from donors, and has hit staff causing some mobile clinic services to be cancelled. Mobile clinics go to companies, schools, churches, universities and special events.

The SANBS said the Western Province Blood Transfusion Service was also expecting a serious shortage due to its donors being sick with flu and was operating at only half the amount of units it should have.

Reddy says: "Because of the fact that we are so short staffed, we do ask for donors to please be patient when they arrive at the blood donor clinic and have to wait a while before they can donate.

"This is obviously not how we want for donors to be treated, but at this stage we are doing everything within our power to ensure there is sufficient blood for patients." - Sapa