Machakos county assembly is conducting a five-day blood donation drive for patients.
Assembly clerk Dennis Mutui and Speaker Anne Kiusya on Wednesday led MCAs and employees to donate blood at the assembly premises.
He said the blood will be stored at the county's blood bank at the Machakos Level 5 Hospital.
The week-long exercise being conducted in partnership with the Rotary Club of Stoni Athi and the Kenya Tissue Transplant Authority, began on Monday and will end on Friday.
“As a county assembly, we are looking to see how best we can partner with the Rotary Club in education, economic empowerment and environment,” Mutui said.
Mothers who bleed excessively during delivery, cancer patients and accident victims are some of the people who need blood transfusions.
“These are some of the cases that have necessitated the need for the blood drive,” Mutui said.
“Experts say for every pint of blood, you will save at least four people who may require that blood.”
He said the drive will be conducted in all the 40 wards.
“This partnership has just began and we believe that as we continue, we will be able to partner with other institutions,” he said.
He urged Machakos residents to develop a habit of donating blood, saying it has many benefits.
Rotary Club public relations director Louisa Kamau said they have conducted blood donation drives at Daystar University, Mavuno Church, Kapa Oil Refineries, UMMA University and KAG University for the past four years.
In 2021, they collected 80 pints of blood against their target of 100, in 2022 they collected 235 pints against a target of 300 while in 2023 they collected 433 pints against a target of 500.
“Our target this year is 700 pints. We have already surpassed it and are now 701 pints. We hope that by the end of this exercise, we shall have 800 pints,” Kamau said.
Kenya Tissue Transplant Authority, Machakos satellite in – charge Francis Mwaka said Machakos has a deficit of 4,000 pints of blood annually.
The county collects about 11,000 pints of blood against the targeted 15,000 pints every year.
“According to the World Health Organization, any population needs one per cent in blood demand. Machakos county has a population of about 1.5 million people hence the need to collect 15, 000 pints every year,” Mwaka said.
He has urged stakeholders to collaborate to address the shortage in the county's blood bank.
