Blood donations urgently needed - blood bank

HEALTH

KAMPALA - Residents of Kiruddu-Buziga have donated blood after Nakasero Blood centre urged citizens who are healthy, and who haven't traveled to high-risk countries or been in contact with someone who has COVID-19 to donate blood.

According to the organiser of the blood donation drive, Matovu Wasswa, blood donations are urgently needed as corporate blood drives are canceled to slow the spread of COVID-19.

 
However, one of the officers from Nakasero blood bank said before the blood donations came from schools and other places, which are no longer there due to COVID-19.

This comes after Nakasero blood bank warned of devastating shortages in all blood types.  "If we don't have people coming in to donate now, we are going to have a bigger problem," an officer from Nakasero said.

 
He added: "We want people to know that it is very safe to donate blood. Every potential donor is given a mini-physical exam when they first arrive, and we take a medical history. We have also made social distancing part of our practice wherever possible and take every preventive measure to keep our donors safe."

He also noted that people who are healthy and meet all other measures for donation and who haven't traveled to a high-risk country, been in direct contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case are likely eligible to donate blood.