THE South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is celebrating Women’s Month by honouring four local women, who are among the 2 600 employees at SANBS who can be trusted to save lives.
These women fulfil unique and diverse roles and represent a range of required competencies.
Recruit
Donor relations practitioner for the PE East branch, Maryke Harris, has been working for SANBS for 20 years, and seems extremely keen to be around for at least another 20.
Harris’s passion is people, as well as solving problems by finding that magic third or fourth option when confronted with a challenge.
“I thrive on crisis, as it ignites creativity on the next level and it tests one’s character.”
Harris manages all the blood drive bookings and acts as the contact person between SANBS and stakeholders, such as blood drive controllers, the media and the general public.
Collect
Donor care officer based at the PE Donor Centre, Sr Rochelle Mkutu, does whole blood collections, as well as source plasma, apheresis platelets, hyper immune plasma, designated and autologous donations.
She is a registered nurse and has worked for SANBS for 15 years. Mkutu says she enjoys her role, since each donation and donor is different. She said she is excited to be part of the new SANBS Source Plasma Programme and appealed to group A and AB donors to consider donating source plasma, as there is a great need and it can be donated every two weeks.
Mkutu added that she is motivated in knowing that every little thing she does, adds up to a life being saved, which gives her tremendous purpose and fulfilment in her job.
Lab
First line processing supervisor, Nyameka Qikwa, sees herself as ‘fresh blood’ in SANBS with five years’ service.
After a unit of blood is donated, Qikwa’s team ensures the blood is processed into the various components, based on the demand from blood banks, and specimens are sent to one of the two testing laboratories in South Africa, based in Durban and Johannesburg. She finds the science behind blood transfusion fascinating.
Gift
The main purpose of SANBS is realised at the moment when a blood bank or emergency fridge is able to produce the gift of life – the unit of blood that is needed at that moment.
Elvira Zealand is the PE Blood Bank supervisor, with 17 years of service. She is a biomedical technologist in immunohematology.
Zealand issues what is required from hospitals or patients and manages the available bloodstock.
“Not every day is easy, but we understand that our role has a direct impact on the quality of life of thousands of patients,” she said.
She added that the major fear during lockdown was the safety of staff and the ability to continue to supply sufficient blood and blood products to patients in need.
