Sabina Chege to propose a new bill to end blood crisis
By Wangari Njuguna
The parliamentary committee on health has prepared a bill to solve the blood shortage in the country.
According to the committee's chairperson Sabina Chege, the bill advocates for the formation of a body that can independently look for funds and mobilize blood donations.
Speaking in Kandara on November 29, the legislator said that with the body in place, it will be easier for all the health facilities to have enough blood in their banks.
"We are going to fast track meetings with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure this bill passes and becomes law by March 2020," she said.
The Murang'a County Women Representative added that an acute shortage of blood in the country has posed a threat to thousands of patients requiring transfusion.
"Many people are at risk of losing their lives due to lack of blood" she said.
"Mothers who are giving birth and bleed too much are dying and the cancer patients too because they require blood but it is not available" she added.
The MP has now urged the government to release with immediate effect some money to the blood transfusion centre.
She said that the ministry of health has been allocated Sh16 billion in the supplementary budget and part of this should go to the blood sector.
"I visited one of the blood centres in Mombasa and it was deserted and was told the workers have been sent home," she said.
"The public hospitals are relying on anybody who would walk in to donate blood and most of the time they are relying on the private facilities," she said.
This, she said should serve as a wake-up call for the government to act swiftly and ensure this issue is fixed as soon as possible.
According to the Ministry of Health, about 450,000 pints of blood are required annually but only 185,000 pints are collected creating a deficit of 265,000 pints.
