By McLloyd Kudzingo
Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) in partnership with the Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS) and Mangochi District Hospital will next week start blood donation mobilisation campaigns in the area of Sub Traditional Authority (STA) Kapichi in Mangochi district with the aim of ensuring sustainable availability of blood and blood products in the Eastern Region.
This was revealed during an interface meeting held between the two organisations and Mangochi District Hospital at MRCS offices in Mangochi district.
The campaigns which will start on September 23, will be conducted under MRCS’s four-year long Community Resilience Project (COMREP).
COMREP Project Coordinator Mercy Chalimba said she was optimistic that with increased awareness on blood donation, MBTS will be able to collect and supply enough blood and blood products to all authorised hospitals in the Eastern Region of Malawi.
“The demand for blood is not as it was ten years ago, there are a lot of patients in need of blood right now and we really need to roll up our sleeves. We need to increase awareness so that we have a good number of regular blood donors across the region,” she said.
On her part, Head of MBTS Balaka Centre, Edith Chimphamba commended Red Cross for the timely intervention saying the campaign will boost blood collections in the region.
“I would like to thank MRCS for being one of our key partners for a long time. MRCS has been supporting blood donation mobilisation activities at Odalla (Blantyre), Lilongwe and Mzuzu MBTS centres and I am glad that this time around you have considered us here in the Eastern Region. We have been longing for this exercise and I am looking forward to a good working relationship so that we achieve our goal of collecting safe and adequate blood,” said Chimphamba.
In her remarks, MRCS Blood Donor Recruitment Focal Person Linda Mpanang’ombe assured MBTS of continued support and that MRCS will make sure that all the District Red Cross Committees are taking part in supporting blood donor mobilization activities.
Meanwhile, an Area Development Committee (ADC) meeting has already been conducted with all the Chiefs and ADC members in the area as one way of preparing for the forthcoming exercise.
The first phase of the campaign with target the areas of Chimphamba(Nsaka), Kasankha, Kamphande, Kapichi and Mponya.
MBTS adopted a comprehensive safe blood transfusion strategy based on World Health Organisation guidelines of which the key aspect is the promotion of voluntary non-remunerated blood donations.
The Balaka Blood Transfusion Centre which covers the districts of Balaka, Machinga,Mangochi, Ntcheu and the Lakeshore part of Dedza district, has a target of 17,334 units of blood in this financial year.
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