Kilifi governor Gideon Mung’aro has taken a leading role in a blood donation drive at Karisa Maitha grounds in Kilifi town that shall see to restock Kilifi’s new build blood bank.
The governor led his county staff and church leaders including his Health CEC Peter Mwarogo, ACK Bishop Reuben Katite among residents within Kilifi town.
Mung’aro who has been at the forefront to change the health sector in Kilifi said the drive is aimed at collecting over 3000 pants of blood every year to enable Kilifi to have sufficient blood for its patients.
He said Kilifi’s consumers of blood were mothers in delivery rooms and also accident victims whom majority over the years have heard to bring their relatives to support them donate blood.
The Governor said the norm of lining relatives to give blood to their patients should cease with immediate effect citing every Kilifi citizen has the right to receive blood whenever needed either with relatives or without.
“My administration wants to end the habit of lining relatives for blood transfusion instead we shall collect a lot for our own citizens, ” He affirmed.
During this drive, the governor however flagged off cyclists across Kilifi and within East Africa including Uganda and Tanzania at Pwani University to in a cycling drive to sensitize the importance of donating blood.
The governor said Kilifi aims at bringing the blood donation drive to its rural setups including schools, churches and even villages to have the county stock a lot of blood for use at the health facilities.
Kilifi CEC for health Peter Mwarogo also said Kilifi requires over 4000 pants of blood annually but the current collection rate was too low.
