Donors stop giving blood
2004-12-05 11:10
Johannesburg - Blood donations have dropped dramatically after it was revealed that the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) used racial classification to determine the risk factor of blood.
The SANBS on Saturday said hospital patients might die if donors continued staying away from clinics.
The service regarded the blood of black and coloured donors as high-risk blood that was only used when there was no more low-risk blood available.
Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang last week accused the SANBS of racism, and the result of her criticism was being felt at clinics countrywide.
After an emergency meeting with Tshabalala-Msimang on Friday, the SANBS agreed not to use race as a qualifying factor.
Mercia van der Westhuizen, marketing manager of the SANBS of the internal region, said companies threatened to stop blood donation clinics on their premises "if the racism story was true".
She said clinics in North West, the Free State, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo the SANBS failed to reach their daily target of 2 000 units of blood.
She said there was a huge need for blood, especially on the eve of the festive season and the annual road carnage that went along with it.
In the Western Cape, where between 40 and 45% of donors are coloured, the row also had an effect, with people phoning to ask if their blood "would also be burnt".
Marika Champion, spokesperson for the Western Province blood transfusion service said: "The news could not have come at a worse time. We cannot afford having people stop donating blood."
Champion has urged donors not to stop donating, as all blood was needed to save lives.
'Must apply safety measures'
Diane de Coning, director of donor services of the SANBS, said people forgot that patients had a right to safe blood transfusions.
"We deliver a First World blood service in a Third World health system. With about 24% of the population being HIV positive, we must apply safety measures. We don't want to infect anybody."
The SANBS categorises donors into risk groups. Category 1 was low-risk blood, mainly from white and Indian donors. Category 3 blood was, among others, the blood of black people, and Category 4 - the highest risk - the blood of black people donating blood for the first time.
De Coning said not only race determined the blood's category, but also how often one donated, the geographical location and gender. She denied that the blood of black donors was not used.
De Coning said if donors failed to come forward to donate blood, there would be a crisis.
"If we don't get blood soon, people will die in hospitals. Blood cannot be manufactured in a laboratory."
- Rapport