Let State address shortcomings to end perennial blood shortage

Reports that Kenya’s blood bank has run empty should worry everyone.

The National Blood Transfusion Services (KNBTS) announced that there is not a unit of blood in the country’s major blood reserves in Nairobi and Mombasa and other facilities that it runs.

The blood shortage crisis has been attributed to several factors, among them overreliance on external donors.

Until recently, Kenya was receiving Sh850 million annually from the United States through the president’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar), aiding the blood transfusion services in the country.

Sadly, the funding was cut off late last year, which adversely affected the availability of blood through donations.

Corruption within the system has immensely affected the supply and availability of blood.

Recently, there were shocking and heartbreaking media reports that some KNBTS officials have been selling blood from the local bank to a neighbouring country. We now have dry blood banks due to these self-centred officers.

In 2018/19, KNBTS collected 164,000 units of blood, which is much less recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

But despite the shortage, blood cartels devoured the available supply, increasing the rate of drying up of blood banks.

Greedy officials have turned blood transfusion services into a lucrative business at the expense of suffering Kenyans.

The selfish amongst us would do anything to upgrade their lives. In every position they are appointed to, they only see the illicit riches they can amass by exploiting taxpayers.

For a long time, generous Kenyans have been donating blood to save the lives of those in dire need of transfusions. But it seems all that effort was in vain as the blood was not used to save lives but build empires for the gluttonous officers.

Many Kenyans have lost family members and friends just because they did not have the money to buy blood. On other occasions, they could not get the blood group blood that matched the patient.

People have been dying due to graft by the people we have entrusted public resources.

A poor blood donation culture has also been a key contributor to the acute blood shortage in our blood banks in times of crises.

Fewer people come out to donate blood than before, leaving blood banks struggling with little stocks, which run out too fast.

There is a need for urgent disciplinary and legal action to be taken against these officials for misappropriation of public resources and abuse of office. The illegal blood merchants should be convicted and thrown into prison.

The government must identify and deploy competent and trustworthy people to be entrusted with such critical public resources as blood banks, lest they continue ailing in the hands of avaricious administrators.

The government must also set aside funds to support KNBTS to enable it to curb blood shortages.