By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK In light of the high number of road accidents and other emergencies in the country, there is a critical need for more blood, especially Blood Group O that is urgently needed for transfusions during emergencies. Against this background, the Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia opened its first blood donor clinic in the town of Otjiwarango yesterday. Now that it has its own premises along Hage Geingob Street in the centre of town, the Service has reached another milestone to encourage more blood donors to make use of the new clinic. All blood donors in Otjiwarango are invited to come to the monthly blood donor clinic to donate blood and save lives and possibly even their own one-day. “Stocks of blood Group O are still seriously low and we appeal to donors, both those who regularly come every two months and new donors. Take this opportunity to start the New Year with a meaningful contribution to the life of a patient in need of your help,” the Public Relations Officer of the Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia, Liesel Schwerdtfeger, said. She told New Era that the reason why there is a constant shortage of Blood Group O is because it’s the only blood that is used in emergencies. “Group O can be used for any injured person because it’s a universal blood group. It can therefore be given to anybody who is in need of blood even from those with other blood groups,” explained Schwerdtfeger. In other words as a universal blood group, the body will tolerate Group O, even if people have group B, A or AB. About 44 percent of the Namibian population is from the Blood Group O. The Service is in need of a minimum of 220 stocks of Group O every day. Having been previously housed in an old handicraft centre, Schwerdtfeger said the place was just too small to cater for the number of clients they were receiving there. “It was very limited and not safe at the old place. Now the new clinic is centrally situated with all the different structures needed for clients to be treated in privacy,” she added. Facilities at the new blood donor clinic include a room for pre-donation counselling, a private room for donors to complete their medical history forms and the blood donation clinic room. The clinic will be open to the public on Wednesdays once a month. Last year, the Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia also opened another new premises in Swakop-mund with a laboratory, blood donation clinic and accommodation for the clinic team all under one roof. Since 20 percent of the blood donated comes from young people, mostly school children, the Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia continues with its campaign to educate the youth about the importance of donating blood. On average, between 19 to 20 000 people donate blood every year and a large segment of that blood comes from young people. Schwerdtfeger reiterated that the public should donate blood, as “there is no greater gift, than the gift of life.” “People who are healthy, who live a healthy sexual lifestyle, who are between 16 and 65 years old, and weigh more than 50 kg may donate blood,” she said.