Rotary Uganda Builds first private Blood Bank at Mengo Hospital

As Mengo Hospital, the first modern Hospital in Uganda celebrates 119 years of existance, the Rotary Uganda Country Office under the leadership of Past District Governor Emmanuel Katongole, has constructed a Blood Bank at this Centennial Hospital.

Rotary Blood Bank at Mengo Hospital under construction.
 In the Background is St. Paul's Cathedral Namirembe 

This is the first private Blood Bank in the country. The first being the government owned National Blood Bank based at Nakasero run by the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service (UBTS).

The Project was conceived by  Rotarian Emmanuel Katongole as the pioneer Governor of District 9211. The D9211 comprises of Tanzania and Uganda; 39 clubs in Tanzania & 76 clubs in Uganda
With a Ugandan population of 37.58 million people, there are  2,362 Rotarians, The Rotary Blood Bank will be the second largest public-private partnership  service initiative taken up by the Clubs in Rotary District 9211, the first being the Rotary Cancer Center at St. Raphael of St. Francis Nsambya Hospital.

PDG Emmanuel Katongole

‘‘Blood is an essential component to human beings and should be free of charge; no person should die due to lack of blood”.

‘‘You have not lived today, if you have not done anything for anyone without expecting anything in return, that’s your true net worth”,JC Maxwell.
The Blood Bank 7,500 sq. ft, centrally air-conditioned, state-of-the-art facility and set up on 800 sq. meters in Mengo Hospital.

Photo of the Blood Bank Building at Mengo Hospital
 shot today 23rd April 2016 at 9:00am

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, Uganda needs at least 300,000 units
of safe blood per year to meet the minimum requirement. To acquire this number of units, at least 350,000 units have to be collected annually.

However, due to inadequate funding, the current Blood Bank is able to collect only 250,000 units a
year. This explains the usual inadvertent blood shortages.

It is based on this shortage that the Rotary clubs in Uganda have decided to build a Blood Bank at Mengo Hospital in Kampala, to bridge that gap.

The Estimated Overall Cost of this project is US $ 1,305,219 for construction of the Blood Bank building, procurement of equipment and staff training. This is to be partly funded by local initiatives and so far we have raised

Behind the blood bank building at Mengo Hospital

Funds needed to complete the building will be US$ 856,000.   On Tuesday 11th August 2015, members of the Rotary fraternity in Uganda together with the management and staff of Mengo and the Bishop of Namirembe to dedicate the place where the Rotary Blood Bank project was going to be constructed.

The good news is that eight months down the road, work has been going on smoothly. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Standard Chartered Bank, the major partner in fundraising for this Blood Bank project. Rtn. Herman Kasekende, the Managing Director of Standard chartered Bank has been at he forefront in organising fundraising events to see that this project becomes a success.

Once the construction of the blood bank is done, we shall equip it with sophisticated Blood Bank equipment and specialized staff training through a Rotary Foundation global grant of USD 449,219.

Rtn. Hannington Sebuliba the author inspecting the construction
of the Blood Bank today at Mengo Hospital

Voluntary blood donation is a selfless service and an expression of love for mankind. Blood knows no caste, creed, colour, religion or race. Blood donation is harmless, painless and absolutely safe. No one holds the future, you will never know when you need blood.


STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

1. Rotarian Sam Owori  (Trustee-Rotary International in charge of The Rotary Foundation.)



2. Rotarian Emmanuel Katongole "Pioneer District Governor 2013/14 District 9211(Tanzania &Uganda"

3. Rotarian Stephen Mwanje (Past District Governor, District 9200)
4. Rotarian Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa (District Governor D9211)
5. Rotarian Ruth Nvumetta Kavuma (Chair of the Rotary Blood Bank )
6. Rotarian Ronald Kawaddwa (Assistant Governor Rotary District 9211)
7. Rotarian Sam Bwaya (Past District Secretary District 9211)
8. Rotarian Ken Mugisha (District Governor Nominee and Head of Fundraising)
9. Rotarian Peace Taremwa (Assistant Governor Rotary & Chair Finance Sub-Committee)
10. Dr. Rose Mutumba (Medical Director Mengo Hospital)
11. Rotarian James Serufusa (Board Chairman Mengo Hospital)
12. Rotarian Peter Kimbowa (Past Assistant Governor)
13. Rotarian Sarah Odongo (Past Assistant Governor & Chair Grants Sub-Committee)
14. Dr. Ian Senkatuuka (Chair Technical Sub-Committee)
15. Rotarian Wilson Sendikwanawa (Member Technical Sub-committee)
16. Rotarian Stephen Matovu Muwonge (Chair Blood donation, Training and Capacity building)
17. Rotarian David Sekiziyivu (Member Fundraising)
18. Rotarian Dr. Brenda Anena (Secretary to the Management Committee)
19. Rotarian Hannington Sebuliba (Rotary Club of Kajjansi Graphic Designer)

Members of the Rotary Blood Bank Steering Committee

Once completed, the Blood Bank will look like the artistic impression above