Wajir residents urged to donate blood as shortage hits county referral hospital
The county government has now called upon members of the public to volunteer at the Wajir Satellite Blood Transfusion Centre that remains open Monday to Saturday, from 8 am to 6.30 pm, to receive donors.
Wajir County Referral Hospital is grappling with a blood shortage, risking the lives of patients in need of urgent blood transfusions.
The county government has now called upon members of the public to volunteer at the Wajir Satellite Blood Transfusion Centre that remains open Monday to Saturday, from 8 am to 6.30 pm, to receive donors.
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According to the county government, the severe blood and blood products scarcity puts at risk vulnerable groups, including expectant mothers and Kala-azar patients who depend on timely transfusions.
In a move to respond to the crisis, the Wajir governor's spouse, Rukia Abdinassir, led a campaign to encourage members of the public to donate blood.
Rukia, who visited the Wajir Satellite Blood Transfusion Centre, donated blood and urged members of the public to respond to the call for blood donations, terming it a life-saving initiative.
"Blood is a lifeline for many mothers, children, and patients battling with serious illness. I call upon every able resident of Wajir to step forward and donate blood. Your single act of Kindness could save a life," said the county First Lady.
The shortage of blood is reported at a time when Wajir County is struggling with the Kala-azar outbreak that has claimed more than 20 lives and infected more than 500 patients since September 2024.
Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, who recently received a team from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) who joined the fight against the outbreak, said the upsurge overwhelmed the county referral hospital, and the increasing cases were stretching the county's resources.
He said in response, the county government secured life-saving drugs from the Netherlands, launched a rapid fumigation exercise and increased hospital bed capacity.
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