By Andrew Alibaku
The public have been encouraged to report public health workers who sell blood to patients to the office of the Resident City Commissioner as soon as possible because the people who donate the blood have never been asked for money.
The Jinja South Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner Mr Mike Ssegawa said it is illegal to sell blood to patients, a vice that is common by some health workers in public health facilities across the country.
“I call upon the public to be very vigilant if anybody especially health workers in government health facilities charges you for blood or ask for money report to hospital administration,if you are not helped come straight to the RCC’s office or police and report such cases”,said Mr Ssegawa.
Mr Ssegawa made the revelation while officiating at a blood donation drive organized by Nile Breweries Ltd in partnership with Uganda blood bank and Red Cross targeting 900 units of blood as part of social corporate responsibility for the patients who need blood in Jinja city 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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