			History

History

1938
The first meeting of the Cape Peninsula Blood Transfusion Service took place at Groote Schuur Hospital on 24 October 1938. Two hundred blood donors enrolled within the first three months and the first 30 transfusions took place in November 1938.

In the 1930's transfusion practice was in its most basic development phase. Hospitals would request a donation and when a suitable donor was found, they would report to the hospital. There, where the blood would be transfused directly from the donor to the recipient with only a screen separating them.

1942 — 1949
The Service obtained its own building in the Cape Town city centre where three donors could be accommodated. Blood was collected in Horlicks milk bottles as these proved the most suitable. The blood was delivered to government laboratories for cross—matching.

Government laboratories assisted the Service with the development of suitable storage techniques and serum processing. The first blood bank was established in 1939 and was able to provide blood serum and whole blood to military hospitals for the duration of the Second World War, as well as continuing to provide in the requirements of civilian institutions as well.

By October 1943, there were 1 394 active donors providing blood for an average of 182 transfusions a month.

In 1949 the Service acquired its first mobile unit and began to recruit donors in the countryside. It also changed its name to the Western Province Blood Transfusion Service, a registered non—profit and welfare organisation.

1955
The first blood bank outside the Cape Peninsula opened in George followed by Paarl, Worcester and Beaufort West. The increased demand for blood led to the procurement of a second mobile unit.

1959
The head office expanded its premises, allowing it to accommodate 15 donors, and making it possible for the organisation to provide a comprehensive service for the technical aspects of blood transfusion. It also housed the largest single unit blood bank in the country at the time.

In addition to donor grouping and cross—matching, serological, bio—chemistry and plasma aspirating laboratories where housed in the same building.

1961
For the year ending June 1961 the service had collected donations from approximately 50 000 donors and mobile units had visited 352 outside clinics.

1967 — 1969
The Service moved to new premises that allowed the organisation to collect and distribute almost 7 000 pints of blood per month and employed 160 staff members.

The Service was closely involved with the first heart transplant that took place in 1966 and new light—weight mobile equipment was introduced, allowing standard vehicles to be used as mobile units.

1973
Plastic containers replaced glass bottles for the collection of blood. The new containers were better suited to the isolation of components such as platelets and frozen fresh plasma.

A new laboratory featuring a walk—in cold room, sub—zero plate freezer and an additional centrifuge was built.

1976 — 1988
The Scientific division of the Service was established in 1976, the year that also saw the arrival of the first automated blood grouping machine. In 1978 a bank for frozen red blood cells was established and the Service took responsibility for all the blood banking services to Tygerberg, Groote Schuur, Karl Bremer, Mowbray Maternity and Peninsula Maternity hospitals.

In 1980 an HLA and paternity testing service was introduced, and in 1983 the quality assurance department was established. A new laboratory facility was set up to facilitate testing blood for HIV infection which was introduced in June 1985.

In 1987 the Service was accredited to the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).

At the 50 year mark in 1988, the Service opened its fractionation plant at Beaconvale in Parow which still houses research, fractionation, quality assurance and warehousing.

1990 — Present
In April 1990, the Service moved to its current head office in Pinelands and the last two decades has seen further automation in the field of blood grouping and viral testing.

In 2006 the WPBTS introduced the latest international technology to test donor blood. Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) uses DNA technology which effectively narrows the detection period of HIV infection to between 5—11 days. This technology is being used by the blood transfusion services nationally and is currently the largest application of single—donor testing in the world. This ensures that South African transfusion services are in line with the highest standards of international blood transfusion practices.

The Western Province Blood Transfusion Service has grown from a fledgling community organisation literally run form a home to become the most technologically advanced blood service in Africa and respected across the globe for its tireless efforts to achieve service excellence and provide safe blood to the communities that it serves.