The Lesotho Blood Transfusion Service (LBTS) has been facing a serious shortage of blood at its reserves as early as 2017, when numbers in donors dwindled. Most parents at that time barred their school-going teenage children from donating blood, drying rich source of donors which the LBTS had for ages relied on.
Several appeals have since been made, but the numbers continue to drop as even potential individual donors appear to lose interest or are driven away by unexplained fears.
Interviewed during the campaign, BNP deputy leader, Machesetsa Mofomobe said their efforts were propelled in the main by an earlier national appeal to the public to volunteer donating blood.
“This is more critical now that we are entering the most accident prone period of the year, the Christmas holiday, that bloats demand for blood transfusions,” he said.
Mr Mofomobe said the BNP found it a national duty to call on its membership to assist in boosting LBTS reserves, for the benefit of all who would find themselves in need of a transfusion this festive season.