Malawi Blood Transfusion Service-MBTS has lauded the people of Group Village Headman (GVH) Makwangwala for their support towards blood donation activities.
MBTS Assistant Public Relations Officer for Balaka Satellite Depot, McLloyd Kudzingo, made the remarks after 51 people gave the gift of life at a blood donation clinic in the area during the just ended Senior Chief Makwangwala blood donation campaign.
According to Kudzingo, GVH Makwangwala has been doing well in blood donation campaigns organised in the area.
“In September last year, 41 people managed to donate and in January this year 38 people donated blood in the same area. This is a no mean achievement considering that we are still amidst the global Covid-19 pandemic and to find such a good number of blood donors is a blessing to us,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of sustaining the nation’s blood supply, Ethel Ching’amba, a representative from Ntcheu district health office, remarked:
“There are a lot of patients whose lives depend on the assurance of a safe and sufficient blood supply. These people can only undergo essential medical treatments with a ready stock of blood in our facilities.”
In his remarks, Group Village Headman Makwangwala-real name Wellington Genala, thanked his subjects for coming out in large numbers to support the cause.
He said he was very proud of the people in all village heads areas for coming forward to save lives and urged MBTS to continue organising such campaigns in the area to make blood donation a habit not only in his area but also the whole Senior Chief Mwakwangwala’s area.
Senior Chief Makwangwala blood donation campaign yielded a total of 116 units of whole blood from five Group Village Headmen’s area.
Apart from targeting potential and regular blood donors in schools, colleges, places of worship, associations and work places, MBTS also conducts blood drives in villages especially during school holidays, to make blood donation more convenient for residents living in these traditional areas’, to follow up with out of school regular blood donors and to sustain blood collections during the aforementioned period. All this in the course of ensuring safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products to all patients in need in all authorized hospitals.