The National Bank of Malawi has donated 80 million Malawi Kwacha to Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS) to purchase two blood bank fridges which will significantly impact the blood supply chain. The donated fridges are earmarked for Mangochi and Mulanje districts as a strategy of providing blood transfusion services in
hard-to-reach and distant areas through the placement of blood bank fridges in
district hospitals.
We are grateful for this donation which will not only benefit MBTS as an organization but the entire nation of Malawi and we appeal to more corporate organisations to
emulate the example. MBTS has the delegated mandate by the Ministry of Health to supply safe and adequate blood and blood products to all hospitals authorised for the blood transfusion practice in Malawi. By striving to fulfill this mandate, MBTS has saved many patients including mothers dying from pregnancy and childbirth complications, under-five anaemic children, cancer patients, and trauma victims who lose a lot of blood. However, hospitals are required to collect blood from the organisation’s centres which are located in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, and Balaka. This becomes a serious challenge for hospitals that are located in remote areas making it
difficult for them to access blood from MBTS. A serious consequence of this limited access is that some hospitals resort to asking relatives and friends to donate blood for the patient. This family replacement system poses many challenges and may compromise blood safety.
Thus, MBTS has embarked on a program that is aimed at improving the accessibility of blood to hospitals in remote areas through the placement of blood bank fridges in district
hospitals that have several other hospitals surrounding them, thereby breaking the distance between the remote hospitals and MBTS centres. So far, blood bank fridges have been placed at Karonga District Hospital, Kasungu District Hospital, Nkhotakota District Hospital, Mulanje District Hospital, and Ngabu Rural Hospital.
From this background, the blood bank fridge for Mangochi district will serve hospitals such as Monkey Bay Community Hospital, Muli Bwanji Mission Hospital, St Martins Hospital, Comfort Mission Hospital, and Koche Community Hospital. While the one for
Mulanje district will serve Mulanje Mission Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, and Phalombe District Hospital.