Tanzania: Pemba Residents Encouraged to Donate Blood
[Daily News] Pemba -- A SAFE blood donation campaign has been rolled out across Pemba's four districts as health officials seek to increase supplies for hospitals facing high demand for transfusions.
Residents in Pemba, Tanzania, are being urged to donate blood to help address the high demand for transfusions in local hospitals. A safe blood donation campaign has been launched across the island's four districts, with the aim of increasing the supply of blood for patients in need. Adinani Ali Hamadi, the Pemba Safe Blood Coordinator, emphasized the importance of regular blood donation in saving lives, particularly for mothers, pregnant women, children under five, and accident victims.
He noted that free blood services are provided to patients, and collected blood is screened at the Safe Blood Unit in Unguja before being distributed to hospitals.
Donors who reach six donations are eligible for a card that may help them access free blood when needed, subject to applicable procedures. Mariyam Omar Hamadi, a Safe Blood Unit officer in Wete, explained that men can donate every three months, while women can donate twice a year, depending on their health conditions. Eligible donors should be between 18 and 65 years old and weigh at least 50 kilograms.
Resident Khamis Abrahman Juma highlighted the importance of regular blood donation during emergencies, such as road accidents and serious illnesses. Juma Mohammed, a student at Madungu Secondary School, encouraged his peers to participate in blood donation drives, emphasizing that it is an act of charity and that donors do not lose anything. The blood donation exercise was carried out across Chake Chake, Wete, Mkoani, and Micheweni districts.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
