The Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS) has disclosed that blood donation has significantly increased in the country to an extent where it has surpassed the collection target.
This is according to the MBTS Acting Chief Executive Officer, Bridon M’baya who was speaking over the weekend when the Service received a donation of K7 million from Old Mutual Malawi plc for the purchase of a tent.
M’baya attributed the increase in blood collection to a good response from various stakeholders including blood donors, community leaders, traditional leaders and the business community.
He said, “The demand (for blood) is huge, but it’s pleasing that over the past few years, the MBTS collections have gone up. We still have challenges in that those collections are not collected evenly throughout the year.
“We have times when the collections are low and we have times when the collections are high. But overall, the collections have improved and for the first time, we have surpassed our target by collecting 122,000 units of blood over a target of over 120,000.”
Speaking about the donation, the MBTS Acting CEO described it as timely, claiming in most cases they have been collecting blood on open grounds and stated that owning a tent will help to improve the efficiency of the organization by cutting the hiring costs.
Rex Kadzongwe, Human Capital Executive of Old Mutual, stated that the company’s support of the MBTS is indicative of its altruistic nature and dedication to providing a lifeline to individuals in need.
