On Monday NTV brought forward the serious challenge facing Nakaseero Blood Bank Uganda’s Central blood collection point. “These are crates that we use for storing our blood in the Walkup Cold room and now they are empty. That means we don’t have blood.” The institution needs about 12 billion shillings to fully get back on its feet between now and June. According to Dr. Dorothy Kyeyune the Executive Director Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, the problem got worse following the cancellation of funding from the US government and the PEPFRA which covered 45% of the blood collection needs and mobilization by the blood bank.
Due to the huge funding gap, Nakaseero blood bank now has inadequate fuel and therefore cannot conduct countrywide blood donation drives and mobilizations. “Our activities are transport related. Every day teams go down in the communities, in the field to collect blood. They need fuel, they need sound vehicles, and we need allowances for the staff which money was being supported by the PEPFRA Project which ended so we are struggling.” Said, Dr. Dorothy Kyeyune – E.D, Uganda Blood Transfusion Services. The Ministry of Health has acknowledged the funding challenge but says a solution is being worked. “We have already got in touch with the Ministry of Finance and we hope that something is going to be done very soon maybe in the next two or three weeks so that we can continue with the supplies.” Said, Sarah Opendi – State Minister for Health.
But that’s maybe a tall order since the 2018/2019 Budget Framework paper, the draft for the next National Budget indicated that Nakaseero Blood bank could suffer 5.4% cut in funding from 9.4 billion shilling this year to 8.9 billion shillings in the new Financial Year. Members of Parliament blamed the funding gap to such a critical institution that deals with matters of life on failure to prioritize. “Teargas in the Police, the Police always have reserves of teargas but when they tell you that people need blood and they tell you that out of a thousand units the blood bank should be kept per day, its only 80 units. It tells you how dangerous, how terrible our prioritization is.” Said, Patrick Nsamba – MP, Kassanda North.
“Can only make an appeal, it starts with us maybe we can invite the blood bank to start the blood donation process from Parliament and I will be more than willing to donate.” Said, Hamson Obua – Ajuri County MP. “That we must change this business of putting more money into politics than on development, of putting more money on regime survival than on development.” Said, Francis Mwijukye – MP, Buhweju. “I urge the blood bank to think outside the box. If they don’t have the capacity, if they don’t have resources to donate blood let them use other avenues. I give one example; right now as I speak there is blood donation in Lira taking place, they are not the ones who facilitated it.” Said, Sylvia Akello – Woman MP, Otuke.
The blood bank retained its partners like Rotary Uganda, MTN Uganda and NSSF to mobilize blood donation drives, but the sustainability of these initiatives is not guaranteed. According to the World Health Organization, Uganda which has a population of about 36 million people is expected to collect around 300,000 units of blood annually. But last year, only 240,000 units were collected leaving a 60,000 units shortage. “I also want to use this opportunity to appeal to Ugandans that we have no factory to manufacture blood, blood comes from individuals so, many people should turn up to donate blood because today is somebody else and tomorrow it might be you.” “Leaving those who think they will go out before you board that plane you may need this life-saving unit of blood.” Blood shortage put at risk the lives of pregnant mothers, delivering mothers, accident patients and patients undergoing surgery who could die due to the absence of blood.
