Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) encourages Rwandans, especially the youth, to donate blood in honour of World Blood Donor Day (WBDD), in order to ensure a safe, steady and effective supply of blood products.
Supported by this year’s theme “donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives”, WBDD 2022 highlights the roles that voluntary blood donors play in saving lives and enhancing solidarity within communities. Additionally, it reinforces the global call for people to donate blood regularly.
The Blood transfusion division (BTD), within RBC, has five RCBTs (Regional Centres for Blood Transfusion) located in all administrative provinces and in the City of Kigali. Subsequently, BTD serves 78 transfusing public and private health facilities and uses drone technology to supply blood to health facilities countrywide.
Every hour, around 12 blood component units are consumed by transfusing health facilities and 280 blood component units are needed every day in Rwanda.
RBC’s blood transfusions division manager, Dr. Thomas Muyombo, encourages the general public to visit their RCBT as often as required and donate blood, as one blood component unit can save three lives.
In 2021, demands of blood components from health facilities were 105,243 Units. BTD supplied 102,689 Units which is 97.57% hospital satisfaction. Moreover, the remaining 2.43% signifies that the patient has recovered without additional blood. In order to enhance hospital satisfaction, 2 blood collection buses sponsored by Imbuto foundation have been purchased and will begin to operate in June 2022.BTD has become the second blood service in Africa to achieve 3 accreditations in blood transfusion by AFSBT ( Africa Society for Blood Transfusion).
Despite limited mobility and other challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, blood donors in many countries, including Rwanda, have continued to donate blood. This remarkable effort emphasises the crucial role of well-organised, committed, voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors in ensuring safe and ample blood supply during normal and emergency times. (End)