Since 2014, WCBS has been offering iron tablets to donors who complete a blood donation. It is well known that regular blood donation can deplete donors’ iron stores, and this is an important strategy to prevent iron deficiency in our donor population. Our latest statistics show that about 35% of donors are accepting iron replacement therapy, the highest uptake since the inception of the programme, which is very encouraging.
WCBS offers donors a pack of 30 Cheliron Forte® tablets containing ferrous bisglycinate, folate, and vitamin B12 after they complete a blood donation. The purpose of this programme is to replace the iron lost by the donor in the donation. In addition to iron replacement therapy and pre-donation haemoglobin screening, WCBS also monitors the stored iron (ferritin) levels of all donors who complete a donation, and will inform the donor to contact their doctor if their level is below 15ug/l or above 500ug/l.
For more information about donor haemovigilance or our iron replacement therapy programme, please contact Dr Caroline Hilton, Lead Medical Consultant, at Caroline@wcbs.org.za.
