The public have been encouraged to report health workers who sell blood to patients to relevant authorities.
Jinja City South Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner Mr Mike Ssegawa said it is illegal and unethical to sell blood to patients, a vice that is common among some health workers in public health facilities across the country.He said when faced with such a challenge, the offices of the Resident City Commissioner was open to address such concerns as soon as possible because the people who donate the blood have never asked for money.
“I call upon the public to be very vigilant. If anybody, especially health workers in government health facilities, charges you for blood or asks for money, report to the hospital administration, and if you are not helped come straight to the RCC’s office or police to report such cases”, said Mr Ssegawa, while officiating at a blood donation drive organized by Nile Breweries Ltd in partnership with Uganda blood bank and Red Cross.
The exercise targets 900 units of blood as part of the company’s social corporate responsibility.
Mr Ssegawa called upon the residents of Jinja City to turn up in big numbers at any place they see blood donation drives because that is the only way they can save fellow citizens in need of blood transfusion.
The Jinja city donation drive took place on Wednesday.
Mr Bosco Omech ,the Acting Plant Manager Nile Breweries Ltd Jinja Plant said the company has a dream to save, protect, promote activities in the community to change lives of the people in the area of their operations across the country.
“We cannot have more cheers in the communities when people are not healthy, when people are deficient in blood.As Nile Breweries Ltd we always intervene in many interventions in the communities. For this reason we have partnered with Uganda Red Cross Society and Uganda Blood Bank,police to donate blood,”said Mr Omech.
He also said the blood donation drive by NBL is being carried out in three cities Kampala,Mbarara and Jinja respectively.
Ms Esther Namugenyi who donated blood six times said she feels good when she gives out blood to save the life of a person,especially those mothers who undergo operations while giving birth.
Mr Stephen Ngobi, 27 years old said in 2019 his daughter was very sick and when they were referred to Nalufenya Children’s hospital in Jinja they were told the child lacked blood unfortunately there was no blood available.
“It was through what I witnessed in the hospital when my daughter needed blood and if the health workers were not cooperative,I would have lost my child.It is my first time to donate blood just to ensure that whoever needs blood should be available in the hospitals”,said Mr Ngobi
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