Lango health sector gets a major boost with Shs9.6b blood bank
Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng (center) accompanied by other stakeholders in Lira Cutting the ribbon during the commissioning of a Shs 9.6 billion Regional Blood Bank. PHOTO/CHARITY AKULLO
What you need to know:
The facility, set up by the government through the Ministry of Health, is designed to serve 25 health facilities, primarily within the Lango sub-region, as well as two in Teso and a few in the Karamoja region.
Lira Regional Referral Hospital in northern Uganda has been allocated a Shs9.6b regional blood bank to enhance healthcare services in the region.
The facility, set up by the government through the Ministry of Health, is designed to serve 25 health facilities, primarily within the Lango sub-region, as well as two in Teso and a few in the Karamoja region.
The construction has been awarded to the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) engineering brigade. Phase one, which involves constructing the blood bank, will cost Shs5.6b, while phase two, which includes setting up equipment, has been allocated Shs4b.
Until recently, Lira Regional Referral Hospital relied on Gulu Regional Referral Hospital’s blood bank for blood testing and screening. The new blood bank will be built on a 5-acre section of the 20-acre land donated by the University Teaching Hospital to Lira Regional Referral Hospital. The remaining land will be reserved for future projects, including a heart center and a regional cancer center.
Currently, the hospital collects an average of 12,000 units of blood annually, which falls short of the 15,000-unit target set by the Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS).
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng described the project as a long-awaited milestone for the Lango community.
“The need for blood in this region is immense due to the high prevalence of sickle cell anemia and maternal mortality. Additionally, northern Uganda bears the highest burden of malaria, further increasing the demand for blood,” Dr Aceng said.
She further noted that lives had been lost due to blood shortages. “In 2020, we commissioned a small blood bank to address this need. However, today we are thrilled to witness the realization of a fully-fledged blood bank where blood can be processed safely,” she added.
Dr Aceng stated that the regional blood bank under construction at Lira University is expected to produce 28,000 units of blood annually.
"This facility is expected to process 48,000 units of blood annually, which will be more than enough for the people of the Lango sub-region," she said.
She explained, “Because a population requires one percent of its population in blood units, and the population of Lango sub-region is about 2.8 million, one percent of that would be about 28,000 units of blood.”
Dr Dorothy Kyeyune Byabazaire, the Director of Uganda’s Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS), said the purpose-built facility in Lira has been a priority for UBTS.
“With this regional blood bank in place, blood collection in the region will increase, ensuring timely delivery to healthcare facilities,” she explained.
Dr Byabazaire also emphasized the importance of public blood donations, stating, “There is no factory for manufacturing blood; it comes from healthy donors. I encourage everyone, including students from Lira University, to donate blood and save lives.”
The Director of Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Dr Andrew Odur, expressed excitement about the project, saying, “This infrastructure will address the challenge of blood shortages while supporting future projects, such as the heart institute and cancer center, which will require a consistent blood supply.”
Maj Kizito Mulwana, the site engineer and Regiment Commander for the UPDF’s 3rd Construction Regiment, assured the community that the project would be of high quality and completed on time. “As long as the UPDF is involved, you can expect quality work, accountability, and timely delivery,” he affirmed.
