The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has organized a week-long blood donation drive through which the tax agency hopes to collect 1000 units of blood from Kampala residents and visitors.
URA Manager Public and Corporate Affairs, Ian Rumanyika said the drive which begins from February 5-9, 2018 is a response to an acute shortage of blood in public health facilities countrywide.
According to Rumanyika, two collection centers will be set up at the URA headquarters in Nakawa and the agency’s Crested Towers office, Kampala. The centers will open at 8:00am and close at 5:00pm daily for the planned period.
The drive will be a joint activity with the Nakasero Blood Bank, which will send teams to the two locations to collect the blood.
Uganda needs about 340,000 units of blood annually but collects about 200,000 annually, with students among the regular donors. But this time Rumanyika has urged taxpayers and stakeholders among them clearing agents to also donate blood at the two locations.
Following the shortage, a countrywide blood donation campaign was launched by the Health Ministry on January 16, 2018.
Other agencies like the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) have been involved in the same activity aimed at collecting blood to save patients in hospitals.
