Fort Portal regional Blood Bank is in acute blood shortage and cannot meet the meet the requests made by hospitals in the Rwenzori region, an official has said.
Ambrose Mugume, the Blood Donor Recruitment Manager says they are only remaining with 65 units of blood, which cannot take them to Wednesday this week.
Mugume says they have received requests for blood from Kagando hospital in Kasese, Bundibugyo hospital and Nyahuka health center IV in Bundibugyo, and Kagadi hospital in Kibale district but cannot meet them due to the blood shortage at the facility.
He attributes the shortage to government failure to release funds to facilitate them to travel in different rural and urban places in the region to collect blood.
Mugume says the high fuel prices have affected their budgets and are unable to move to different schools and trading centers in Kasese, Bundibugyo, Kamwenge, Kibaale and Kyenjojo to collect blood, adding that they owe a big debt to the fuel supplier.
He notes that the students, who are the major blood donors, are in their holidays.
Mugume reveals that they have now launched a one week emergence blood donation campaign to collect at least 200 units of blood in Fort Portal town, to save the lives of children with severe anemia due to rampant malaria cases. The move is also aimed at saving the lives of mothers who get complications during birth and pregnancy, accident victims, people undergoing major operations, and patients with prolonged sicknesses among others.
He says that the campaign drive kicks off on Tuesday with a camp at Mpanga market, along the Boma road and Kitumba in East division, Fort Portal municipality.
Mugume adds that on Wednesday they will camp at KCB Bank in South Division and then proceed to Kabundaire farmers market on Thursday.
Fort Regional blood bank serves the districts of Kabarole, Kyenjojo, Bundibugyo, Ntoroko, Kamwenge, Kibaale and Kyegegwa and the number of patients in need of blood is overwhelming, according to Mugume.
He says they will be in social places with big crowds of people like in trading centers and markets.
