Over 15,000 units of blood raised by Etop in a period of two yrs

Jun 08, 2017

According to Martha Ajilong, a Blood Donor Recruiter at Ministry of Health attached to Soroti blood Transfusion Services (SBTS) the partnership is aimed at saving lives of patients whose lives hang in balance.

A total of over 15,000 units of blood have been raised in Teso region ever since Vision Group's Etop newspaper and Etop radio started partnering with Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) two years ago.

According to Martha Ajilong, a Blood Donor Recruiter at Ministry of Health attached to Soroti blood Transfusion Services (SBTS) the partnership is aimed at saving lives of patients whose lives hang in  balance.

Ajilong says they no longer experience serious blood shortages, hence most of the health facilities in the region have been boosted highly.  The blood is used in different health facilities in the region and its surrounding districts.
"At first collecting blood was very difficult in Teso, because we used to rely on the students, but whenever schools break off for holidays, there is a very big gap in collecting blood from the community," she said in an interview with New Vision at Vision Groups Offices located in Soroti on 7.6.2017.

Etop newspaper was initiated to cater for Ateso readers, and the radio reaches the audiences left out by the newspaper.
According to Justus Stanley Aporu Akol, the promotions manager Etop radio, the campaign is in response to the overwhelming need for blood not only across Teso, but also the neighboring districts during the emergencies.

The patients in dire need of blood include those with anaemia, sickle cell, accident and mothers who develop complications during delivery.
"Many times the communities are not cooperative when it comes to issues of blood donation yet they are the main consumers of blood," Ajilong said.
Ajilong appealed to the public to always donate blood whenever they are called on so that they save lives.

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