A preview of our interview with Jonathan Louw, Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Blood Service (SANBS).
82-years in the making, the South African National Blood Service is a not-for-profit organisation that provides the delivery of safe blood to all South Africans.
Its responsibilities include managing the entire blood transfusion value chain from collections, testing and processing to distribution to patients, its footprint spanning 185 sites around the country that are manned by more than 2,600 individuals.
The SANBS tests all blood donated for transfusion-transmissible diseases, blood grouping and patient compatibility using sophisticated processes and equipment to ensure the safety of blood, and it is rated amongst the best in the world in the provision of blood and blood-related products and services, as well as for its training and research efforts.
“Imagine being a regular blood donor,” says Jonathan Louw, Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Blood Service (SANBS). “Then imagine receiving an SMS text message telling you that today your blood was used to save the life of a 14-year-old child that was suffering from leukaemia.
“Saving a life is the greatest gift that anyone can give, and to let donors know that they are doing this would be truly special. It’s part of the reason why we’re looking to create a digital journey and act as a corridor in better connecting them with patients.”
In the near-two years since Louw joined, he has helped to make a number of strategic adjustments that have seen the organisation modernise not just technologically but in a vast multitude of ways.
To find out how, see the full interview at: https://www.africaoutlookmag.com/outlook-features/south-african-national-blood-service-sanbs
