Ambassador, district official disagree over blood bank

The High Commissioner of Uganda in the UK and Ireland has disagreed with a district health officer over establishment of a regional blood bank in Lira District.
Ambassador Julius Peter Moto argued that hospitals and health centres in Lira often suffer blood shortage because the district lacks a blood bank.
“Government should build a regional blood bank in Lira to serve the greater Lango sub-region instead of relying on the available facilities in the country,” he said while donating blood at Mayor’s Garden in Lira Town.

On the same day, Lira Blood Collection Centre launched an urgent plea for more people to give blood.
The assistant blood donor recruitment officer, Mr Robert Okello, said more than 1,000 blood donors were needed to meet growing demand for blood at health centres and hospitals in Lango and Karamoja sub-regions.
Eight districts make up Lango sub region: Lira, Dokolo, Amolatar, Oyam, Kole, Alebtong, Otuke and Apac.

Bringing services closer
Ambassador Moto suggested that establishing a regional blood bank in Lira would bring services nearer to the people.
“We need blood to help people who are delivering babies, undergoing surgeries and serious accident victims,” he said.
However, the Lira District assistant health officer in charge of maternal and child health, Mr Edmond Aceka, appears to suggest the ambassador was not making sense.

“Building a regional blood bank in Lira District will not help. There are blood banks built in Nakasero in Kampala and Gulu but they are not helping much. So many people are suffering and dying in the country,” he said on Tuesday.
Instead of establishing a blood bank, Mr Aceka proposed that many people should come in to give their blood other than relying on only students.

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