The Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) has explained the nationwide blood shortage - blaming it on the lack of testing reagents. UBTS executive director Dr Dorothy Kyeyune says the crisis has been on for the last two weeks and that all regional blood collections centres are affected.
"We have been collecting blood but have not been able to use it. We didn't have necessary reagents to test blood for diseases like HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and C or even determine blood groups. So, the problem is not that we don't have blood. We have blood but couldn't use it because we didn't have money to procure reagents from National Medical Stores," Dr. Kyeyune told journalists this morning.
Adding that, "We didn't get enough funds and that is why we couldn't purchase reagents. We needed a supplementary budget and now that the budget has been approved we shall be able to provide blood in two to three days."
She said they have more than 30,000 units of blood waiting to be tested. UBTS received a supplementary budget of Shs 12 billion after exhausting its budget of Shs 10 billion. Michael Mukundane, the spokesperson Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, says they have been working hard to provide blood for emergency situations.
"We have not been able to test blood but we have been sanctioning the little we had countrywide to make sure that no lives are lost," Mukundane said. Dr Kyeyune explains that there was a shortage of blood Group O because most health facilities depend on this group during transfusions.
"Everybody has a blood group but most health officers don't first check the patient's blood group before they give blood. Most run to blood Group O because it is universal. This brings about shortage especially when someone who is O needs it," she said.