3 June 2022 Media Release: Officials from Garden Route District Municipality celebrate Employee Wellness Day – 30 employees donated blood!

Media Release: Officials from Garden Route District Municipality celebrate Employee Wellness Day – 30 employees donated blood!

For immediate release
3 June 2022

Every year, National Employee Wellness Month is celebrated during the month of June. In view of this, the Garden Route District Municipality’s Employee Assistance Section organised a full-day programme filled with wellness activities to encourage employees to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being at work and overall.

Research indicates that work is closely linked to an individual’s health and well-being. And, as a result, several service providers were invited to interact with employees and advise them on how to improve and adopt a healthier workplace wellness culture since they spend most of their time at work.

Nedbank, Virgin Active, Bonitas- and LA Health Medical Scheme, the Western Cape Department of Health, the Western Cape Blood Services, and CANSA Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) representatives were among the service providers.

The GRDM Blood Donation Drive was one of the highlights of the day as the Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) also urges all eligible donors to donate blood as blood stocks are critically low.

According to the South African National Blood Service (SANBS), ‘Donating a unit of this “precious gift of life” saves lives of those in dire need of blood. One must develop a habit of donating blood in order for SANBS to collect sufficient blood that will ensure that in cases of emergency quality blood is always available. Thousands of patients can die daily if there is insufficient quality blood in stock. When one donates blood, they give patients the gift money cannot buy or science cannot create. A unit of blood can save up to three lives as blood is separated into red blood cells, plasma and platelets.’

Thirty (30) employees from GRDM donated blood today.

Benefits of donating blood:

Improves overall cardiovascular health.
Enhances the production of new blood cells to produce new blood cells to maintain good health.
Lower the risk of strokes.
Reduces the chance of heart attacks.
Lower the risk of cancer.
Free health screening – vital signs, blood type, and other screening tests.
It saves lives – many lives are saved and hope is given to many whose situation may otherwise be hopeless.
Blood donors give such patients a second lease of life.

As part of the day’s activities, Virgin Active also hosted a Grid Class for employees to participate in.