DECEMBER 2015www.endeavourmagazine.com

INSPIRED BY YOUR SUCCESS

SANBSThe Easiest Way To Save A Life

Having featured the South African National Blood Service several times in the past, Endeavour Magazine has witnessed its growth and establishment as a major force for the procurement, storage and delivery of blood in South Africa.

WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER

THE EASIEST WAY TO SAVE A LIFE

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SANBSWWW.SANBS.ORG.ZA

0027 11 761 9000

SANBS

Recently undergoing a change of leadership with a new CEO, Trevor Vroom, stepping up the plate to lead the business ahead into the new year and beyond with a fresh direction and

approach, SANBS is looking forward with praise and promise. Yes, there is a fresh direction with changes to marketing and procedure but as a keystone company in a sector with many dependents, there a number of things that will not change.

“The changing donor demographic if not managed correctly could see reductions in blood donations,” Trevor says, “Placing both patients and the financial well being of SANBS at risk. This is why things need to evolve.”

Considering that blood supply is the single most used resource in every hospital worldwide it is easy to forget that it has to be donated. With some South African cities sitting dubiously in the top five of the most violent cities in the world and with 16.6% of the country’s adults have HIV you can immediately see the challenge that this organisation faces.

However, a reliable supply of blood means that patients can undergo surgery, women in labour can receive blood transfusions and victims of accidents or violence can get the emergency treatment they need. Tying together South Africa’s medical and emergency care system, the South Africa National Blood Service (SANBS) acts as the guardian responsible for the collection, screening and distribution of the blood in South Africa.

“SANBS has performed well during the reporting period,” Trevor explains, “Whole blood collections achieved 98% of target with three provinces exceedinf their targets.”

One of the key strategies has been to increase the black donor base from 35% by the end of the previous financial year. This target was exceeded by 3% and black donors now make up 38% of our

donors while the white donors decreased marginally from 48% to 47%.”

Founded in 2001, SANBS has grown impressively in the last 12 years and stayed at the very cutting edge of the technology available to their industry. Utilising high-tech facilities and the most stringent safety procedures to protect both donors and staff, they are seen world over as the leaders in their field. And as a not-for-profit organisation, which is free from shareholders, they are able to re-invest any surplus made in profits back into the organisation to continue improving their service.

It is a machine, which relies on donors and public campaigns to keep the pulse moving, requiring a constant drive to keep people aware of the need for blood that keeps every one of the 2400 people working for SANBS very busy. The campaigns need to deliver the message of the incredible need for donors, while at the same time evoking a positive message that will attract them back. There is an aspect of segregation that some people feel about giving blood if they suffer from any number of blood ailments that can afflict people, but the science involved in treating blood is the very best available.

Donated blood does not go from one person directly into another, because when somebody requires blood they often require only one element of it. There is a lot more happening in your blood than you are aware of and the science used to separate the individual parts means that a pint of blood can be used not only to save a life, but to conduct important research in a laboratory or stored and added to a different donor’s blood to help in medical and scientific endeavours. Everyone can be a donor and it is one of the easiest ways you can help save a life.

Heading into their summer and Christmas Period, SANBS are

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There can be no compromise when it comes to the quality of blood; nothing can be allowed to remain lax or unattended and if SANBS stands for one thing it is safety and quality. Providing the source material not only for the fight against blood diseases such as HIV, but also the life-saving gift for accident victims and new mothers, this organisation is responsible for saving lives.

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bracing themselves for one of their busiest times. On both sides, campaigns to bring blood in are matched by the public need for blood coming out and Trevor Vroom has his work cut out for him.

One of the most reliable campaigns, that is rolled out across 30 branches nationwide, makes use of many mobile blood banks stationed in shopping centres, holiday resorts and secondary schools. By making it as convenient as possible for people to say yes. This is also supported by the Government, who supports these missions with backing for their campaigns. This has enabled them to gain 20% more donors than they had in 2001 when they were first founded and this marked increase represents not only the success of the campaigns but the increase in the education of the donors themselves.

“The duration of the campaigns range from a few weeks to a year, depending on the focus and implementation period of the campaign,” explains Thapelo Mokoena the marketing director at SANBS, “The goals of the campaign also differ: For example, the festive season campaign is meant to remind and mobilise blood donors to donate blood during the festive period, and not only concentrate in their busy festive lives.

The schools campaign is directed at educating school pupils

about blood donation and in turn inspiring them to encourage their parents to donate blood. The winter season campaign encourages blood donors and potential blood donors to make time to donate in spite of the cold weather conditions, which may affect their health and lifestyles. The youth campaign aims to educate youth from the age of 16 to understand the value and importance of donating blood, so that they can continue with the culture of donating blood later in their lives”

South Africa is a diverse country and one of the most complex social structures in Africa. With 11 official languages and nine provinces, a vast landscape of cities and rural areas to contend with, the planning of campaigns has to be down to the smallest margin and yet remain flexible to handle any eventuality.

“Each campaign is planned on a targeted and segmented basis, where the strategy, history, goals, plans, and targets of each campaign are taken into consideration,” Thapelo explains, “We rely on a mixture of creativity and strategy, including information gathered through customer surveys, research, and direct contact with blood donors.”

Thapelo goes on to explain, “The best areas are the urban areas with good facilities and better living conditions, whilst the worst

SANBS

areas are the rural and poor areas with minimum or no facilities, as it will be difficult for any individual to donate blood on an empty stomach characterised by poor nutritional conditions.”

As mentioned, the level of education also plays a role in influencing the donor profile, he goes on to say, as the people who understand the importance of blood donation would be more likely to donate blood.

Ultimately, this is the main aim of the campaigns. With a population of 49 million inhabitants, in 2012 only 442,000 were regular blood donors. The World Health Organisation estimates that only around 1% of the population give blood in most countries and South Africa are not far from that. A combined approach of education and availability is needed to bolster the blood supply. Otherwise there could be a repeat of the 2011 crisis where a shortage of blood had a knock-on effect for the entire medical industry in SA. In the last article, we focussed on the importance of blood donors in SA and how different times of the year affected the supply of blood to those who need it, especially for women giving birth in hospitals.

“Improvements that have taken place include developing mechanisms for minimising blood wastage at hospitals,” Thapelo

explains, “And the improvement and more focus on the management and treatment of deferred blood donors, that is, blood donors who cannot donate due a condition at the time of donation such as low iron levels.”

It’s also a matter of earning trust with the people of South Africa and as we highlighted last year the two blood screening facilities in Johannesburg and Durban are some of the best in the world and it is possible to screen every bag of donated blood for infection using state of the art testing technology. It is an expensive but vital component of the service that SANBS offers.

Like a perpetual wheel, the need for blood supplies will never stop and SANBS will hold this mantle for a long time. Ultimately it is something that everyone should be involved with. If you don’t give blood, you should.

“Global readers can get involved through encouraging their friends and families to donate blood,” Thapelo informs us, “And helping us to spread the education message regarding blood donations.”

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Globeflight congratulates South African National Blood Service on their achievements as a TOP company, on a worldwide scale, in Blood Transfusion. We applaud your tireless work in research and testing ensuring that South Africans receive healthy blood.

Globeflight are a courier service provider to SANBS. We are dedicated to ensure that SANBS receive TOP class courier services.

we keep the blood moving which saves lives!

www.globeflight.com

Globeflight congratulates South African National Blood Service on their achievements as a TOP company, on a worldwide scale, in Blood Transfusion. We applaud your tireless work in research and testing ensuring that South Africans receive healthy blood.

Globeflight are a courier service provider to SANBS. We are dedicated to ensure that SANBS receive TOP class courier services.

we keep the blood moving which saves lives!

www.globeflight.com

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