Nyeri: Nyeri residents have been asked to embrace the culture of regularly donating blood in order to save the lives of Kenyans in emergency medical situations.
According to Kenya News Agency, the officer in charge of the Kenya National Blood Transfusion and Transplant Services (KNBTS) blood bank in Nyeri, Robert Githinji, stated that the country is still grappling with a significant blood shortage. Githinji attributed this shortage to a lack of consistent blood donors, noting that while the country requires up to 530,000 pints of blood annually, only 300,000 pints were donated last year.
"Donating blood is one of the simplest ways you can make a profound impact on someone's life. Every donation has the potential to save up to three lives and I urge Nyeri residents to consider donating regularly because it only takes a little of your time and can make a huge difference in our community," he said.
Githinji made these remarks on Monday during a blood donation drive in Nyeri town, organized by KNBTS in conjunction with the Kenya Red Cross Society and the Mount Kenya hospital. The one-day drive aimed to engage the public and shift away from the usual strategy of conducting blood donation drives primarily in learning institutions.
By mid-day, 35 pints of blood had been collected, with Githinji expressing optimism that they would collect 100 pints by the end of the day. "Secondary school students are our biggest blood donors and since schools are out for April holidays, we have decided to partner with hospitals to enlighten the general public about the importance of donating blood," he added.