Residents of Kisii County have been encouraged to regularly donate blood in order to save lives following a shortage of blood at the Kisii Blood Transfusion Centre.
The center, which serves thousands of citizens across Kisii and the neighbouring Migori, Homabay, Narok and Nyamira counties, is struggling to offer critical services as its blood bank remains largely unused.
Speaking to KNA, the Blood Transfusion Center’s Manager Vincent Nyambane noted that Kisii collects only 1200 units of blood per month against a population of about 1.2 million people.
“For now, the government has set the limit at only 1200 units of blood; however, this number is not enough to serve the entire county and the neighbouring population,” noted Nyambane.
As a result, the Manager urged the residents to donate blood regularly so as to build the blood stocks in the local health facilities and prevent loss of lives.
Notably, Nyambane said that most counties lack enough blood collection centres thereby, making it difficult to supply hospitals with the blood they need for surgeries and emergencies.
He encouraged the government to take the lead in promoting mass blood donation campaigns and educating the public on the importance of donating blood so as to reduce fear and increase participation.
A nurse at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital (KTRH), Millicent Nyaboke, noted that one of the main reasons for low blood donations is the fear of the unknown associated with the HIV screening conducted before one can donate blood.
“Many people avoid donating blood because they fear the HIV screening process which reveals one’s status and this reality continues to block our lifesaving efforts,” said Nyaboke.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, Kenya’s estimated annual blood demand stands at about 500,000 units.
However, the Office of the Auditor General’s performance audit report on Management of Blood Transfusion Services (2024) reveals that the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) only collects between 150,000 to 160,000 blood units every year.
By Ilhan Ismail and Mercy Osongo
