Individuals who have donated blood at least ten times, with their most recent donation within the past year, can have their biological parents, children, or spouse receive free blood in times of medical need, the National Blood Services Zimbabwe (NBSZ) has announced.
In a statement Wednesday, NBSZ said it has a Blood Components Beneficiary Policy, which grants free blood transfusions to family members of regular donors who meet the criteria.
"We would like to announce that NBSZ has a Blood Components Beneficiary Policy designed to ensure that our donors are adequately recognized and cared for. Under this policy, blood donors who have given blood ten times or more, with their last donation made within the past 12 months, are entitled to free blood for their biological parents, children, or spouse should they require a blood transfusion.
"NBSZ is committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure that blood donors are well-catered for," the statement reads.
Although the government maintains that blood is always available free of charge to patients in public hospitals, the situation on the ground tells a different story.
Many public hospitals, including Parirenyatwa, Zimbabwe's largest referral hospital, do not consistently offer free blood transfusions.
In many instances, patients are simply told to purchase blood themselves, as it is often unavailable at the hospitals.
NBSZ said that the costs associated with blood are not for the blood itself, but rather for the necessary processes involved in preparing it for safe use.
"It is important to understand that once blood is donated, it does not go directly for transfusion. Instead, it undergoes rigorous testing for infections, blood grouping, separation into components, safe storage and then distribution. These processes require advanced equipment, skilled scientific personnel, specialized storage facilities and strict adherence to international safety standards.
"As a non-profit organization, NBSZ strives to recover only the operational costs associated with these processes, while ensuring that blood products remain accessible and affordable to all individuals who require transfusion," NBSZ added.
