The Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services (KNBTS), a State agency that collects, processes, tests, stores and distributes blood, has been crippled by a staff strike that has entered its second month. In a day, the hospital attends to an average of 25 patients who need blood transfusion. “Due to acute shortage of blood, the hospital is depending on blood donated by relatives of patients, which is not adequate,” said Okoth. Nyanza Regional Blood Transfusion Centre deputy director Mathew Odera said the employees will not resume work until their grievances are addressed. And Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said blood collection was a sensitive unit and should be managed at the national level.

Source: Standard Digital December 06, 2020 21:00 UTC