Fresh Dairy staff have today raised 25 pints of blood in an effort to contribute towards replenishing the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service regional blood banks. The blood donation drive held at their offices in Industrial Area – Kampala, saw over 500 Fresh Dairy staff take part.
Uganda Blood Transfusion Service (UBTS), which is a semi-autonomous organization in the Ministry of Health has a core mandate to supply safe blood to hospitals in Uganda. UBTS works jointly with Uganda Red Cross, which is mainly engaged in mobilization for blood donation and recruitment of blood donors. Currently, UBTS has a network of Seven regional blood banks to include Nakasero, Fort-Portal, Arua, Gulu, Kitovu, Mbale, Mbarara), and Eight blood collection centers to include Hoima, Masaka, Kitovu, Kabale, Rukungiri, Jinja, Soroti and Lira.
According to UBTS, Blood is not only needed to save lives in times of emergencies but is also required to enable doctors carry out life-saving procedures for patients. Every day, blood is needed to sustain the lives of patients who require regular or immediate blood transfusions, that would otherwise become anaemic if blood is not administered. Such people include:
- Children contribute 60% of patients receiving blood due to malaria
- Mothers contribute 30% of blood recipients especially with pregnancy and child birth related cases, and
- Accident victims, cancer and surgical patients contribute 10% of blood recipients.
Vincent Omoth, Marketing Manager Fresh Dairy said, ‘One of our key priority areas at Fresh Dairy is Health and Nutrition. Working with initiatives such as Uganda Blood Transfusion Service and Uganda Red Cross gives us an opportunity to help save lives through contributing to the replenishing of the regional blood banks.’
UBTS applauded Fresh Dairy staff for joining the cause and encouraged more people to donate blood beforehand because:
- Blood is a life-saving remedy got from human beings only, as it cannot be manufactured,
- There is no known substitute to blood,
- Blood donors are the only source of blood for patients who need it.
