The blood donation drive is in partnership with Uganda Blood Transfusion services and will run from Monday June 19^th to Saturday June 24^th, 2017.  

Uganda Telecom Limited has today kicked off its annual week long blood donation drive. This year, the exercise that is in partnership with Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) will be held at the Constitutional Square in Kampala from Monday June 19^th to Wednesday June 21^st 2017. The drive will then be moved to Queens’ way, Entebbe road from Thursday June 22^nd to Saturday June 24^th 2017 from 8:00am to 5:00pm daily.

Speaking at the launch, the State Minister of Finance for Investment and Privatization, Hon Evelyn Anite praised UTL for taking the lead in spearheading such initiatives. “I am glad to officially launch this blood donation drive and call upon everyone to join us as we donate blood and save lives. I hope UTL will organize more of such activities and I pledge to render my support in all ways possible. I also call upon other companies to follow UTL’s example and engage in activities that are communally benefiting to all,” Ms. Anite remarked.

Mr. Bemanya Twebaze, the Administrator, Uganda Telecom thanked the minister for being a part of the drive and promised that through UTL’s CSR department, more of such activities will be held. He said “I thank the honorable minister for taking time off her busy schedule to be a part of this initiative.  I have a vibrant and dedicated staff at UTL and we are working together to ensure that such activities are continuous. We want to impact the lives of a large number of people, not just in Kampala, but countrywide. This blood donation drive is just one of the many CSR activities that we have planned.”

UTL’s Head of Customer Service Ms. Jackie Kihuguru-Kizito disclosed that the blood donation drive is in line with the pillars of UTL’s CSR umbrella (U-CAN initiative), which focuses on Literacy, Education and Health. “Every year, Uganda seeks about 250,000 units of blood through blood donation drives. However, Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS) is only able to collect up to 200,000 units annually of which almost 60% of this goes to children, pregnant mothers, cancer patients, sicklers, accident victims, people requiring surgical procedures and those living with HIV/AIDs, ” she said, and added; “Last year, when UTL engaged UBTS to explore solutions on how we can use the resources at our disposal to address the current blood shortage, UBTS expressed the need for a blood donation drive and as a proudly Ugandan Brand; we decided to make this an annual activity. I thank whoever took part in last year’s drive and once again call upon the  public to join us this year because Safe Blood Saves Lives.”

About Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS):

The Uganda Blood Transfusion Service is the National Blood Service responsible for all blood transfusion and safety activities in the country. The headquarters at Nakasero Blood Bank acts as a reference centre for the regional blood banks and other public and private hospitals. Blood collection depends on healthy volunteer donors with least risk for Transfusion Transmissible Infections. UBTS has grown from a service supplying blood in Central Uganda within a radius of 100 km from Kampala in 1989 to a network of 7 Regional Blood banks which include Arua, Fort-Portal, Gulu, Kitovu, Mbale, Mbarara and Nakasero; Six- (6) blood collection centers in Hoima, Jinja, Kabale, Rukungiri Lira and Soroti.