The construction of a Sh21million blood bank with the capacity of carrying 300 pints of blood will alleviate the shortage of blood in health facilities in Homa Bay County.
The construction which was started in 2015 at Homa Bay Teaching and Referral hospital has taken long before being completed.
Speaking during his tour of the facilities, Homa Bay deputy governor Hamilton Orata who was accompanied by county CEC for health Richard Muga and his Lands counterpart Roseline Odhiambo said the move will reduce frequent referral cases of patients from the county facilities to other counties which cost patients huge medical fees.
Orata added that the project will also facilitate the National government plans on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) so that the residents can get easy access to health care services.
The deputy governor maintained that the County Referral hospital had essential drugs to assist those patients who seek medical attention for various forms of illnesses.
He however, warned the medics against pilferage in the county public health facilities, adding that stealing of medicinal drugs had been on the rise and it should be tamed.
At the same time, Orata reiterated that the contractor will hand over the facility to the County Government in two weeks’ time.
He added that its completion will cushion the County health facilities from acute blood shortage which had afflicted them before.
While on his part Prof. Muga argued that the blood bank has screening and storage facilities revealing that his department had put in place mechanisms of acquiring blood from various donors in the County.
Muga regretted having encountered a great challenge brought about by the shortage of blood in health facilities adding that the blood bank will make the blood shortage something of the past.
By Davis Langat/Anne Onyango
