Supermarkets, Huduma centres to have blood donation points

You will soon be able to donate blood in a supermarket, post office or a Huduma centre near you.

The government is planning to open static blood donation sites in the above mentioned centres in a bid to address persistent blood shortages in the country.

In addition, the Health ministry is planning to launch a national monthly blood donation day and a marathon to tap into local resources.

Kenya has a blood shortage crisis. Blood stocks have been running unusually low since mid-last year, and are now at a critical level.

Low blood donation has been attributed to lack of incentives to encourage Kenyans to donate regularly.

The country has 170,000 blood units against the annual one million units recommended by the World Health Organization.

Recently, the Kenyatta National Hospital said it had a daily shortfall of 160 units.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Saturday said the government funding to support blood services in the country will be increased.

“The ministry will leverage on technology to manage blood and blood products supplies, establish emergency and disaster blood response units with blood buffer storage at key points and foster strong partnerships with the counties and partners,” the CS said.

His speech was read by CAS Mercy Mwangangi during the opening of a two-day interfaith blood donation drive at the SGRR Sikh Temple in Landimawe, Nairobi.

The drive was organised by the Health Ministry through the Kenya National Blood Transfusion, the Tissue and Human Organ Transplantation, SGRR Sikh Temple and Universal Peace Federation.

The drive aimed at collecting 2,000 units in two days  – Saturday and Sunday – but had managed only 40 units by lunchtime on Saturday.

The drive brought together all religious groups to donate blood to save lives.

“In order to increase access to blood, the government increased blood collection sites from six to 31, and installed ultramodern testing and cold chain equipment in Nairobi, Embu, Nakuru and Eldoret. Installation in Mombasa and Kisumu are underway,” Kagwe said.

CAS Mwangangi said last year that 160,000 units of blood were donated against the required one million units. “You can imagine how many lives are lost,” she said.

“I’m touched to see different religious communities come together to make this possible.”

According to the World Health Organization, healthy, regular donors provide better quality blood than friends and relatives who show up in hospitals to donate out of guilt or love for their sick ones.

“I urge all of us to present ourselves to the Kenya National Blood Transfusion centres and satellites to perform this noble responsibility of saving lives,” Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service director Fridah Govedi said.

Kenya’s highest female blood donor Aisha Dafalla donated blood for the 65th time on Saturday.

Women are urged to donate blood three times and men four times a year.

She said she is saddened that women die during childbirth because of lack of blood.

Kenya’s population is 47 million, so even if just one per cent donated blood, the country would have at least 470,000 units.