KAMPALA.
The Indian community in Uganda has launched a one-month blood donation drive as part of the commemoration of India’s Independence Day.
The event, held in partnership with the Indian Association of Uganda and the Uganda Blood Transfusion Services [UBTS], aims to collect at least 11,000 units of blood in 11 different locations in Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso, and Jinja.
‘As part of our independence celebrations, we have organised a blood donation camp for the benefit of everybody in improving good health care at the health facilities,’ said Mr. Rawat Upender Singh, the High Commissioner of India.
Rawat said they have strong bilateral relations between India and Uganda in the health, political, economic, and social sectors.
The Indian Association Secretary, Mr Kumar Sasi Nair, said the collection of blood was launched at High Commission premises with the High Commissioner being the first donor.
‘Indian Association shall continue to strive and support the country with blood donation drives, heart surgery, medical donations, and any other corporate social responsibility.’
He noted that even the upcountry Association and organisations are joining the blood donation drive.
Dr Ahmed Bumba from UBTS congratulated Indians upon reaching 79 years of independence and thanked the Indian community for their intervention, noting that the Indian Association is the biggest partner of the UBTS in terms of promoting blood collection.
We managed to collect 10,505 units of blood last year and hope for more units this year. He clarified that one unit of blood can save four children.
Dr. Bumba said blood is needed to save the lives of many patients in the country, including accident victims, sickle cell patients, surgical operations, and other conditions. We only get blood from human beings, and the demand is high, leading to occasional blood shortages.
For a country like Uganda to have adequate blood, there is a need to collect like one percent of the population.
He said that, according to Uganda’s population of 45.9 million people, 450,000 units of blood have to be collected to have adequate blood in the country.
‘ From the last financial year, we collected 420,000 units of blood, which gives a deficit of close to 30,000 units of blood. So, with this relationship with the Indian Association of giving 11,000 units of blood, we further reduce the deficit,’ Dr Bumba said.