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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Red Cross Society has launched a two weeks’ blood donation drive to collect up to 10,000 units of blood required over the Christmas season.
The society says it is expecting many hospitals around the country to deplete their existing supplies of blood and plunge into major crisis as demands surge in hospital labour suites and casualty wards.
Sarah Mutemgombwa, the Blood Donor Recruitment Manager at Uganda Red Cross Society says every one in seven persons entering hospitals requires blood transfusion in the country. She says the daily demands for blood stands at more than 2,000 units of blood.
The 155 hospitals in Uganda require up to 300,000 units of blood annually. Mutemgombwa says the monthly demand is 25,000 units of blood and majority of is collected from school students and few donors in communities.
“Less than one person among Ugandans donate blood. And for us to meet the expected demand, we require at least one percent of the population to donate blood. And blood expires every 35 days, so we need to keep donating,” she stated.
Robert Kwesiga, the Secretary General Uganda Red Cross Society says government has committed One Billion shillings to facilitate the drive. He says to generate the 10,000 units required over the next two weeks.
Kwesiga says the drive will be complemented by deployment of emergency teams of Uganda Red Cross Society along major highway in expectations of accidents to offer first aid, referrals and on the scene incidents.
Some of the highways are Kampala – Gulu Highway, Masaka Road, Mbarara Road, Kamapala, Jinja Road, Kawolo, Mityana Town, Masindi Town and Kabarole among others.
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