All About Blood Donation

Safe blood is what it’s all about. And not just for recipients, but for donors too. We follow strict safety and hygiene protocols to the tee to make sure the blood we collect is as safe as possible and our donors are not harmed in any way.

Donor Selection

We maintain a voluntary donor base, which has proved to be the safest source of blood. Donors are carefully questioned about their health and lifestyle to determine whether they are able to donate. We make sure all donors are healthy enough to withstand the donation procedure, and that their blood will not present any risks to prospective recipients.

Risk of HIV Infection

New and sterile equipment is used for each donation and is destroyed after use, so there is absolutely no risk of contracting viruses while donating. For the safety of recipients, every single donation is tested for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Due to the HIV window period, donors are also questioned about their lifestyle choices and deferred should any risks be identified.

Testing and Release of Blood Products

All results must be negative for a unit of blood to be labelled and released. Blood that tests positive for any of the infection markers is quarantined, removed and incinerated. Extra tests are then performed to confirm these results, and donors with confirmed results are contacted confidentially and referred for medical attention and counselling.

We’re compliant

All our safety protocols comply with recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO). We also strictly follow measures and programmes according to the Standards of Practice for Blood Transfusion in South Africa, and are regularly audited by external bodies.