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Kenya can now store blood for specific use

Wednesday, June 29th, 2022 08:16 | By

Kenya is now in the league of countries collecting, grouping, screening, separating components and storing blood for specific medical needs.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe confirmed this, saying transformations at the blood sub-sector in the country have already seen over 450,000 Kenyans served with blood and blood products since last year.

“In the past 17 months, we have realised over 480,000 units of blood and blood products donated by Kenyans. This brings us closer than ever before towards meeting our minimum annual demand of 500,000 units,” he said during the opening session of the three-day Damu-Ke conference at Windsor Hotel in Kiambu county.

The CS also said the ministry has made long-term investments in modern blood processing, storing, testing equipment and distribution mechanisms.

“We have secured our supply chain of blood bags and reagents ensuring that safe blood for Kenyans will always be available in a timely manner,” Kagwe said in a session that also witnessed the relaunch of Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services (KNBTS) into Kenya National Blood Transfusion and Transplant Service.

Two mothers

The investments and new partnerships for donor mobilisation, Kagwe said, have borne results. “It is gratifying to note that the impact of these investments is already being witnessed in lives of Kenyans,” he noted.

At the Thika Referral Hospital, for instance, maternal mortality has significantly dropped, showing that only two mothers have died of bleeding complications between January and March compared to October and December of 2020, where 19 of them died.

KNBTS Head of Partnerships and County Support Chepkok Kiprono told People Daily that with the developments, it is not a must for patients to be transfused using whole blood, but can be given a component that targets a specific medical issue.

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