The Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) has made a significant investment to enhance cold chain management of scarce group O emergency blood by introducing Cool Cube blood hampers, effective 1 September 2026.
The Cool Cube blood hamper has been validated to maintain temperatures below 10 °C for up to five days, ensuring emergency blood products are safely delivered to hospitals and healthcare facilities, and that unused blood is returned to WCBS within the correct temperature range, regardless of distance travelled.
The main advantage is conserving scarce group O blood, particularly group O negative, by reducing the discard rate of emergency blood caused by warm returns and achieving associated cost savings.
The Cool Cube blood hamper must remain fully zipped at all times to maintain the cold chain. Open it only upon receipt at the hospital or healthcare facility to remove emergency blood stock or insert unused emergency blood packs being returned to WCBS, then reseal it promptly.
WCBS will use two sizes of the Cool Cube blood hamper — a small blue one and a large brown one — according to the number of blood packs requiring transport.
For more information about cold chain management of group O emergency blood, contact Nawaal Gamieldien, Emergency Blood Bank Co-ordinator (Nawaal@wcbs.org.za).
