Jinja hospital lacks blood
Feb 05, 2009
JINJA regional referral hospital is faced with an acute shortage of blood, the medical Superintendent, Dr. Benon Wanume, has said.
By Esther Mukyala
JINJA regional referral hospital is faced with an acute shortage of blood, the medical Superintendent, Dr. Benon Wanume, has said.
“We receive most of the blood from students in schools and tertiary institutions. So every holiday we suffer blood shortages. But the situation will normalise as schools re-open,†he said.
Wanume said the hospital gave its patients about 40 units of blood per week. He appealed to the public to come out and donate blood to save lives.
A laboratory technician, Ruth Namutebi, on Wednesday said: “We have to keep the little blood we have for emergencies. We are referring some of the patients to Mulago Hospital,†she said.
The hospital received 30 units of blood from Nakasero Blood Bank, but Namutebi said they would only last a few days.
She said about 20 children, most of whom suffer from malaria, are transfused every day
Namutebi said being a referral hospital, they receive patients from all over Busoga region and beyond.
Most mothers complained of lack of blood in most hospitals in Busoga where they had been before being referred to Jinja Hospital.
Amina, a resident of Budwege in Iganga district, said she was disappointed when she took her child to Nakavule hospital in Iganga and was referred to Jinja Hospital because of lack of blood.
“I came here two days ago and I am happy that I was lucky to get blood for my child and her condition is slowly improving,†she said.
Mark Nzeire, who works with the blood bank, said their target was to raise 760 units of blood in Jinja district.
He urged individuals to respond positively.
JINJA regional referral hospital is faced with an acute shortage of blood, the medical Superintendent, Dr. Benon Wanume, has said.
“We receive most of the blood from students in schools and tertiary institutions. So every holiday we suffer blood shortages. But the situation will normalise as schools re-open,†he said.
Wanume said the hospital gave its patients about 40 units of blood per week. He appealed to the public to come out and donate blood to save lives.
A laboratory technician, Ruth Namutebi, on Wednesday said: “We have to keep the little blood we have for emergencies. We are referring some of the patients to Mulago Hospital,†she said.
The hospital received 30 units of blood from Nakasero Blood Bank, but Namutebi said they would only last a few days.
She said about 20 children, most of whom suffer from malaria, are transfused every day
Namutebi said being a referral hospital, they receive patients from all over Busoga region and beyond.
Most mothers complained of lack of blood in most hospitals in Busoga where they had been before being referred to Jinja Hospital.
Amina, a resident of Budwege in Iganga district, said she was disappointed when she took her child to Nakavule hospital in Iganga and was referred to Jinja Hospital because of lack of blood.
“I came here two days ago and I am happy that I was lucky to get blood for my child and her condition is slowly improving,†she said.
Mark Nzeire, who works with the blood bank, said their target was to raise 760 units of blood in Jinja district.
He urged individuals to respond positively.