School in urgent donor drive for sick pupil as KZN faces shortage of O-negative blood

A Durban high school has embarked on an urgent blood donor drive to help save the life of a pupil in need of vital transfusions.

While Westville Boys’ High School said on its Facebook page there is no stock of O-negative blood, which the pupil Blake Allbon requires, an official at the head office of the SA National Blood Service said “there is always a shortage”.

The pupil was admitted to hospital at the weekend.

Phumzile Zulu, SANBS KwaZulu-Natal marketing head, said the province currently has low O-negative blood stocks, which are usually in demand because it is a universal blood group.

“Blood is being processed as normal by our labs. No cutbacks have been reported as all recent requirements from hospitals have been met. In instances where the demand increases more than anticipated, we import from other zones.”

Meanwhile, the school has appealed to the public to donate O-negative blood at SANBS centres in the greater Durban area.

“One of our boys is in high care and needs blood transfusions but he can only receive O-negative and there is currently no stock in KZN.

“We are calling all our parents and boys and Westville community members who know they are definitely O-negative to attend a blood donor drive at WBHS,” it said.

The school said while there is no guarantee that blood donations “will get to Blake with the current shortage, we do want to try to make sure there is enough in stock so that he has a high chance of receiving blood from this drive”.

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.