A salary to make one’s blood boil

Altruism is one of the finer human traits – sadly, because it is in such short supply in this dog-eat-dog, I-got-mine world we live in. Where you still see altruism in its purest form is in blood donors. These are people who go regularly to have their blood depleted, in order for that blood to be available for someone who might be in need of a life-saving blood transfusion.

Years ago, the donors could still be encouraged by the fact that, because they were regular contributors of blood, then they or their immediate families would be entitled to get their blood for free if they ever needed it in a surgical procedure.

Today, all a donor gets is a biscuit, an energy drink and, if they’re lucky, a thank-you from the staff at the blood transfusion centre. Yet, many still return to make their donations, either of whole blood or – in the case of special donors – their blood platelets.

This is truly a process which is in the interests of society. So, donors – and the rest of the public – are entitled to feel miffed, at the very least, by the news that the not-for-profit SA National Blood Transfusion Service (SANBS) pays its top executives huge salaries.

The CEO, Dr Jonathan Louw, pulls down R3.86 million a year – or about double the highest tier of CEO salaries in the not-for-profit sector, according to the 2018 NPO Salary Survey Report, conducted by Averile Ryder Global Reward Specialists.

At the same time, employees of the SANBS claim they have not been paid their promised bonuses.

While we do not begrudge paying people decent salaries, we think it is outrageous that a humanitarian organisation like the SANBS should be run like a for-profit company.

Whatever is happening there, it has little to do with altruism.