LIRA CITY: Minister Aceng Launches Construction of UGX 9.6 Billion Regional Blood Bank by Gov't

By Ambrose Ogwang

Lira City, Uganda: In a major advancement for healthcare in the Lango sub-region and Northern Uganda, the Ugandan government, via the Ministry of Health, has initiated the construction of a regional blood bank in Lira City to tackle the ongoing blood supply shortage.

The project, valued at UGX 9.6 billion, is situated on land owned by Lira University, only a few kilometers from Lira Regional Referral Hospital. The construction will be carried out by the UPDF Engineers Brigade, with UGX 5.6 billion designated for building the facility and UGX 4 billion for outfitting it with state-of-the-art blood storage and processing equipment.

At the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, who is also the Woman MP for Lira City, stressed the facility's significance. She pointed out that it will enhance blood collection, storage, and distribution in the Northern region, ultimately improving emergency healthcare services and saving lives.

Dr. Aceng was joined by senior officials from the Ministry of Health, including Acting Director General Dr. Charles Olaro, Director of Uganda Blood Transfusion Services Dr. Dorothy Byabazeire, and Commissioner of Health Infrastructure Eng. George Otim.

In her speech, Dr. Aceng highlighted the urgent need for a well-equipped blood bank, stating that timely access to blood can greatly lower maternal mortality rates, surgical complications, and emergency deaths. She mentioned that the new facility is expected to improve the reliability of blood supply for hospitals and lessen reliance on blood banks in Kampala.

Local leaders, including Lira City Mayor Sam Atul, expressed their full support for the project. Mayor Atul praised Dr. Aceng for prioritizing healthcare and recognized her steadfast dedication to the community's health.

Maj. Kizito Mulwana, the General Project Manager for the blood bank construction, assured stakeholders of the project's quality, citing the expertise of the UPDF Engineers Brigade. He also emphasized the direct benefits the facility will bring.

As government embark on the construction of a blood bank in Lira City to help people of northen Uganda, Dr. Andrew Odur the acting of hospital director of Lira referral Hospital, used the platforms to moblise Lango community to active participate in blood donation to help address the shortage of blood .

He highlighted that currently the demand for blood is high as Lira Regional Referral Hospital.