The government is set to expand the number of regional blood testing centres from six to 10 in efforts to increase capacity and enhance turnaround time for blood test-in, Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai has said.
The proposed regional centres, he said, are Bungoma, Kisii, Meru, and Nairobi, which will enhance the timely provision of safe and quality blood to those in need.
Speaking during the Valentine’s Day Blood Donation and Sensitization launch at Mt Kenya University on Wednesday, the PS said all the centres will be well equipped, blood collection points set up, and personnel trained in the 43 county satellites.
In a speech read on his behalf by his Administrative Secretary, Letty Wambua, the PS said the current six centres have reference laboratories to ensure the highest standards of safe and quality blood.
On milestones in blood collection, the PS said that at the moment, 39 counties can prepare blood components such as whole blood, red blood cells (RBCs), platelets, and fresh froz
en plasma, ensuring that patients receive the specific blood products they require for treatment. He added that this will be rolled out to all 47 counties.
He said the Kenya Blood Banking Information Management System that was launched last year, known as the Damu-Ke system, has enabled hospitals to digitally request blood for transfusion from blood banks across the country.
The system, he said, enhances the accountability of donated blood and blood components from vein to vein and is accessible on the E-Citizen platform, enabling blood donors to register from the comfort of their homes.
‘To further improve our efficiency in vein-to-vein visibility of blood and blood components, the Ministry is deploying Vein 2 of the system in transfusing hospitals and enhancing interoperability with hospitals’ patient management systems,’ Kimtai said.
He was accompanied by Acting CEO Kenya National Blood and Transmission Services Maurice Wakwabubi and the President’s daughter, Charlene Ruto, who is also the Blood Ambass
ador.
Wakwabubi said they target to get over 500,000 units of blood during the exercise, which commenced on Wednesday across the country.
‘Due to the increased cases of terminal illnesses and maternal deliveries that require huge amounts of blood, the demand is high, and thus the request for people to donate blood,’ said Wakwabubi.
Cherlene called on Kenyans to get out and donate blood, saying the blood demand in the country was huge owing to the many terminal ailments that require blood in the country.
Source: Kenya News Agency