The Kajo-Keji Community Blood Donors Initiative in Juba has appealed to people across the country to donate blood and save the lives of patients through easy access to blood transfusion in hospitals.
Speaking on Sunday during the annual meet and greet event in Juba, The chairperson of the Kajo-Keji Community Blood Donors Initiative (KCBDI), Kaku Harriet Kenyi, strongly urged healthy eligible individuals to give blood to prevent the shortage of blood in hospitals as the festive season approaches.
“We want all of us to join efforts to donate blood because there is no one or company who has managed to manufacture blood,” she said. “Blood donation is the greatest gift that I or you can give to save a life.”
For his part, Dr. Leju Benjamin Modi, the co-founder of the initiative, highlighted how they operate, especially while responding to emergency cases that require blood at Juba Teaching Hospital and other health facilities in Juba.
“The way we initially thought about the operation of this initiative is that we get volunteer members or donors from among our people, we register them, we give their information and whenever there is a need, we call on the one whose blood group is needed. Up to today, that is how we operate,” he explained. “We respond to emergencies only and most of the recipients who have got blood through our efforts have survived.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Angelo Aroup, the Executive Director of the South Sudan Blood Donor Society (SSBDS), said at least 2 percent of the South Sudanese population should donate blood to save the lives of patients lacking blood.
“As medics, whenever we attend to patients, we find patients that are malnourished, victims of accidents, gunshots, and insecurity. Some people are shot and brought to the hospital while bleeding and they need blood,” he stated. “We need only 2 percent of the population of South Sudanese to donate blood for us to be able to deal with situations that require blood.”
Gonda Kefa Moses, an 8-time blood donor who works for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said his mandate is to donate blood and save lives.
“I think I have donated blood 8 times over the years and neither of the beneficiaries have been my blood brothers, sisters, or relatives,” he stated. “I work for ICRC and one of our mandates is to save lives. It is our role to give the blood to save lives. Let us use this avenue to speak, to encourage people to be able to give blood.”
Conversely, Dr. Labrick Tunda, one of the beneficiaries of the initiative, lauded the members of the initiative for saving his life when he was undergoing surgery and required three units of blood.
“This program is very important. I had a wound that resulted from surgery and needed three units of blood and with the help of this voluntary group, it was very easy for me to get the blood. I did not struggle because I had a very good standby queue of donors and I was much moved and want this spirit of brotherhood to continue. Do not give up.”
The Kajo-Keji Community Blood Donors Initiative was established in November 2023 by the youth from Kajo-Keji County, Central Equatoria State, to support the sick and injured members of the community and other diverse groups that require blood.