JINJA — The Indian community in Jinja and Buikwe districts has launched a major blood donation campaign targeting 10,000 units, more than three times the 3,000-unit target set in previous years, amid persistent concerns over blood shortages in Ugandan hospitals.
The campaign, being conducted in partnership with the Busoga Regional Blood Bank, is targeting workers in factories and companies across the two districts, with organisers seeking to boost blood stocks and help save patients whose treatment depends on timely transfusions.
The campaign was launched at Yogi Steel Company, where workers turned up to donate blood as the exercise began its rollout across factories in Jinja and Buikwe.
Gurcharan Singh, the joint secretary of the Indian community, said the campaign had so far reached about half of the targeted factories, with a positive response from workers.
“We have a target of 10,000 units compared to 3,000 units in previous years. The turnout has been good, and we have already covered 50 per cent of the factories in both districts,” Mr Singh said.
He said the community had previously surpassed its 25,000-unit blood donation target in Kampala but was now seeking to increase collections further in response to the growing demand for blood.
Ripson Kennedy, the secretary of the Indian community in Jinja, appealed to more factories and their workers to join the campaign, saying regular blood donation was critical to ensuring that hospitals have adequate supplies.
Emmanuel Nasimolo, a representative of the Busoga Regional Blood Bank, said partnerships with private companies were increasingly important in helping the blood bank meet its annual collection targets.
He explained that schools, traditionally among the biggest sources of donated blood, often become unavailable during holidays, creating a gap in collections.
“That is why we engage partners like companies to help us meet the numbers we need,” Mr Nasimolo said.
Jane Ajako, a worker at Victoria Group of Companies, urged eligible people to donate blood, saying the continued shortage of blood in hospitals was a concern despite Uganda’s large population.
“It is worrying that with a population of about 30 million people, we can still have blood scarcity in hospitals,” she said.
Caroline Ikome, the corporate affairs representative at Victoria Group of Companies, said the company participates in the annual blood drive as part of its community support initiatives.
She said the campaign was particularly important for pregnant women, who may require emergency blood transfusions during childbirth.
“We want pregnant mothers to reach hospitals when blood is available. When blood is not available locally, patients may have to travel to Kampala, and that distance can cost someone their life,” Ms Ikome said.
