Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma has launched a 30-day drive to increase the blood bank volume at the Meru Blood Transfusion Centre.
This follows concerns that the available blood at the county facility was insufficient to respond to needs. Speaking during the start of the campaign in partnership with the Kenya Red Cross, Mr Mutuma called on residents to turn up in good numbers to donate blood.
“I call upon you, the great people of Meru, because together, we are united in purpose, stronger, kinder, and better, and we carry in our veins a miracle that can save lives,” he said when county staff donated blood. The county government also recognised habitual blood donors, who Mutuma said would be ambassadors to educate and encourage others to support the cause.
“Overtime, the members of the public have been instrumental in increasing our blood bank volume. It is against this backdrop that we are fast tracking the identification and recognition of regular blood donors, who will be champions to spearhead donation drives in various regions across the county,” he said.
The drive will be conducted in all the sub-counties for the next 30 days.
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“Bring your friends and colleagues, relatives, church groups and chama (groups) members. One unit of blood save up to three lives,” he said.
According to Lillian Karimi, the blood donation coordinator, there is a big demand for blood. “In Meru County we are expecting to harvest around 17, 000 units of blood. But we are much way behind that. We are at 50 per cent,” she said, adding that they need to collect 1, 400 units a month.
“We don’t want to be going to schools only.”
She said in a day, 27 health facilities get blood supplies from the transfusion centre, but there was no enough blood in the store.