The Namibia Blood Transfusion Services (NAMBTS) team recently visited Meatco, with the aim of collecting 30+ donations of blood.

Currently, only 0.8% of our population donates blood, but 1 in 3 people will need blood at some point in their lifetime.

There is no known substitute for blood and it cannot be replicated due to its complexity.

Although lost blood volume can be temporarily replaced by synthetic solutions in trauma situations, these do not contain the necessary constituents to sustain the patient.

Donor blood can (and often does) mean the difference between life and death.

On Tuesday, 29 May 2018, Quality Assurance Manager, Marchella Somaes, received a token of appreciation on behalf of Meatco from NAMBTS field recruiter, Adolph Mwafangeo, for the continuous support and participation in the blood drive.

If you are between the ages of 16 and 65, weigh more than 50 kg, lead a safe sexual lifestyle, enjoy general good health, and want to help people, then whole blood donations are for you.

It takes 30 minutes every two months and you can donate at a mobile clinic or donation centre near you.

Your donation will be screened and then divided into blood products, which are created from the pre-existing blood components in your blood and given to patients based on their specific medical needs.

Donated blood is divided into blood products, which are issued to patients according to their specific needs.

The main blood products are red cell concentrates; platelet concentrates and fresh frozen plasma, which is why one donation can potentially save three lives.