Housing Finance in blood donation drive

Housing Finance Bank in partnership with the Uganda Blood Transfusion Services held a two day
blood donation aimed at bridging the blood shortage gap in the country.

Speaking at the constitutional square during the official launch of the blood donation on Wednesday
the Managing Director Housing Finance Bank, Michael. K. Mugabi, affirmed  that the festive season is a season to give and what better way to do so than to donate blood and save life.

“The festive season is normally characterized by road accidents, child births and increase in emergency
cases which on many occasions require blood. According to the Uganda Blood Transfusion Services,
Uganda annually needs 340,000 units of blood yet UBTS is only able to raise about 200,000 units,
leaving a shortage of over 100,000 units. We therefore took the step to give blood, in an effort to meet the
current blood shortage in the country. The blood donation drive is also one of the ways through which we
engage with our customers and the community at large,” he said.

Mugabi encouraged the business community and the general public to emulate such initiatives and
donate blood citing that there is no other alternative than to do so.

“Blood cannot be manufactured anywhere, it is only through blood donation that hospitals can receive the
blood required to save life. Giving Blood is therefore the most important gift one can give to someone
they may never know or meet. There is no better gift to humanity than donating a part of you to save the
rest. It’s the gift of life,” he said.

He alluded to the fact that as a bank, it is part of their social responsibility to give back to communities in ways that are impactful and this being a festive season, and above all, a time to give back, it was prudent for the institution to hold an all-round initiative that involves everyone, including the Bank’s staff to not only donate blood but also reduce on the blood shortage within the country.

“In a few days, many of us will be taking time off to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. While we are
doing this, there will be people working to save lives and care for the sick hence the need for us to have a
sufficient supply of blood. Over the next two days we are mobilizing our staff and members of the public
before the break, to donate blood and ensure that life is not lost due to the lack of blood. We are proud to
be working with the Uganda Blood Transfusion Services to ensure that all blood used after an exercise
that we are having here is safe for transfusion,” Mugabi concludes.

The Director Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, Dr. Dorothy Kyeyune – Byabazaire in her remarks
confirmed that there is still need to continue collecting blood to cover Uganda’s 1% population and
further appreciated Housing Finance Bank and other organizations that have engaged in such initiatives
that are impactful and touch so many lives within the country.

“Blood is needed everywhere, everyday so we have to collect more and more to replace what we give to
hospitals on a daily basis. Every day we have more mothers giving birth, cancer patients, emergency
situations among others and being a festive season where accidents normally increase, we might need
more blood than usual,” she said

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