An acute shortage of blood has hit Ugandan hospitals with not a single blood unit available in some health centres to be given to patients with emergency cases.

We have learnt that the blood ran out last week, and currently patients in need of blood transfusions are being referred to private clinics and hospitals. Sources told us that much of the money the government would have used to buy blood was cut to fund military projects.

Many patients in need of blood in some Ugandan hospitals are already in bad condition. Some hospitals have also run short of fuel to transport referred patients to private hospitals where some few units of blood stocks are available.

Some hospitals in northern Uganda don’t have a single pint of blood for all the blood groups in their laboratories. Sources also told us that the doctors are also unavailable in most hospitals around Uganda.

The ministry of health confirms the shortage of blood at some hospitals but clarifies that things will soon return to normal.

Ends