By Buni Dri
The inhumanly inconsiderate, insincere Uganda blood bank Nakasero, how I lost my niece and why am never donating blood.
Yesterday at about 4pm, I received a call to donate blood to save the life of my niece at the new Mulago neonatal hospital. The doctor had called the Nakasero blood bank & had been told they didnt have blood A+ and if we had a donor, we could donate on site before 6pm. The doctor quickly wrote my sister in law a note to head to the blood bank as I was equally enroute. Upon arrival at the blood bank (5:30pm), we were told they had blood A+ (contrary to what they had told the doctor on phone) and that we couldnt get it unless we had a doctor’s request. Even upon presentation of the doctor’s note, we were told if it was that, then we needed to come with a lab attendant from Mulago. After many trials explaining, we left the blood bank, my sister in law in tears.
This morning, I woke to a phone call at 5:30am notifying me that my niece had died. The pain, emptiness & guilt is immeasurable. I keep asking myself…
Why didnt nakasero blood bank give us blood?
If they didnt have it, why couldn’t they draw it from me?
Why should we need a lab attendant from out?
Aren’t there emergency situations they can handle?
…etc
My other pain is… we donate blood, willingly, freely and for free.
Why is it so hard to get blood?
Maybe if Nakaseo blood bank had just been human, my niece would be alive.