The country faces a blood supply shortage. This is an attribute to a poor blood donation culture in addition to rising demand for blood related illnesses in hospitals.

The Albertine region is esteemed to be hardly hit by this short supply. Our reporter in the region reports;

In a bid to address the rooming blood shortage in Uganda, the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service in conjunction with the Uganda Red Cross Society is calling out a nationwide campaign to improve the blood donation culture in Uganda.

This is aimed to average blood availability in hospitals through a drop in blood donation by willing blood donors.

The Albertine regional coordinator for Uganda blood transfusion services Henry Benda notes that they are currently having blood supply shortage due to poor blood donation culture.

He explained that there has been increased demand for blood by accident victims, sick children and mothers during the festival season.

Benda has added that currently hospitals in the region are facing a crisis of blood group Os.

John Bosco Tugume, a Hoima City resident reveals that, some of the people who used to donate blood have become reluctant while others fear to donate blood because they think they will die when they donate blood however Benda has arrayed fears.

Fred Nyakatuura, a resident and Ambrose Niwagaba Katoto, a local reporter in Hoima who have donated blood have rallied other people to donate blood and save lives.

They have arrayed fears from people who fear the size of the needle.

The Ministry of Health launched the construction of a 4.5 Billion Shillings Regional Blood Bank for Hoima Regional Referral Hospital that will serve all eleven districts in Mid-Western Uganda.