Mutare: The tropical Cyclone Idai which battered south eastern parts of Manicaland province in March leaving death and massive destruction to infrastructure and the environment has also impacted negatively on blood collection sites in Chimanimani and Chipinge.
This was revealed by National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) Marketing and Communication manager Easter Masundah during a media engagement meeting in the eastern border city Friday.
Masundah said six blood collection sites in Chimanimani and Chipinge were affected by the hostile weather phenomenon.
She said the affected collection centres were Biriiri High School, Ndima, Chimanimani, Nyahode and Rusitu.
“We managed to meet with the Provincial Administrator, representatives from ministries of health and education and we managed to access the impact of Cyclone Idai on our operations.
“Accordingly, we noted that six of our blood collection sites were affected in terms of panel in Chipinge and Chimanimani.
“Some of these areas needed assistance in terms of furniture and stationery. In terms of assistance, we are going to be assisting through a three phased approach.
“The first phase had already being implemented thus the handover of immediate needs by Mutare branch facilitated by head of branch and Mutare Blood Donor Committee chairperson.”
Masundah added that phase two will be to integrate the support through World Blood Donor Day while phase three will be corporate finance support that will come through various initiatives to be carried out until the end of the year.
“In terms of World Blood Donor Day campaign, we will be carrying out different activities to raise funds so that we are able to help those blood collection sites that we have. In terms of activities, we will have the fun run to assist the affected blood collection sites.
“Through our Pledge 25 initiatives, there is going to be sanitary ware campaign where we will be collecting sanitary ware for the girl child in those affected areas.
“We are also going to have a golf tourney in Mutare earmarked for the 5th of July where we are encouraging people from the golf fraternity to play their part in assisting us.
“We are also going to have telecoms campaign and this will be done between July and November.”
Because of the Cyclone disaster, she said, World Blood Donor Day will be celebrated in Manicaland province on the 6th of July.
“As an organisation, we saw it befitting to extend invitation to blood services in Malawi who were also affected by Cyclone Idai and our global host for World Blood Donor Day which is Rwanda.
“We felt we should integrate World Blood Donor Day and Cyclone Idai as a befitting way to honour the blood donors who may have lost families or affected by the disaster.
“This way we are thanking them for their immerse contribution in saving lives and also help in bringing smiles on their faces by showing that we also care,” said Masundah.
