The highest blood donor in the world one Arjun Prasad Mainali will be visiting Kenya on 10th of September 2019. Mainali who is a citizen of the United States of America and a native of Nepal has donated blood for 171 times and has reached millions of people globally with blood donation messages in his numerous crusades and blood donation campaigns. Out of the 171 donations he has made, 122 of them were whole blood while 49 were platelets concentrates. He has been donating blood for the last 32 years. Cumulatively Mr. Mainali has donated a total of 85.5 liters of whole blood and platelets combi ..read more

It’s Wednesday afternoon and members of staff at Nairobi RBTC have moved to the gazebo area to have lunch as they catch up on each other’s welfare. A few minutes into lunch, a donor is received at the reception desk and escorted to the donor clinic. This donor is unlike any other donor the facility has received since the start of the year- its 64-year-old Mzee Richard Kang’ethe; a committed and selfless donor who has made it his ritual to visit the blood bank any time he’s in Nairobi. So, who is Richard Kang’ethe? Mr. Kang’ethe is a farmer by profession and resides in his farm house in Ol Kalo ..read more

Processing of donated blood After donation, blood is mechanically separated into various components The most common components are Packed Red cells components; Platelets concentrates, Fresh Frozen Plasma, and Cryoprecipitate These components are used in treatment of different blood disorders Storage of blood and blood components Whole blood (unseparated) is stored refrigerated at +2 0 C to + 60 C for up to 35 days Platelet concentrates are stored at +20 0 C + 240 C for up to 5 days with constant agitation Fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate are stored frozen at -20 0 C to -24 0 C for up to ..read more

SPEECH BY DR JOSEPHINE GITHAIGA , DIRECTOR KENYA NATIONAL BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE DURING THE GLOBAL YOUTH DAY BLOOD DONATION DRIVE AT KENYATTA NATIONAL HOSPITAL GROUNDS , NAIROBI ON SATURDAY 16TH MARCH 2019. The Chief Justice and the President of the Supreme Court of Kenya – Justice David Maraga, The Chief Executive Officer – Kenyatta National Hospital- Dr. Thomas Mutie The Seventh Day Adventist Pastor – Kennedy Ochana, The Clergy, The Young People Present, Distinguished blood donors, Invited guests, The Media   Ladies and Gentlemen, I am happy to join the Seventh Day Adventist youth today ..read more

Kenya Redcross Society Secretary General- Abass Gullet Multi-Choice Director – Simon Kariithi Distinguished blood donors, Invited guests,   The Media   Ladies and Gentlemen, I am delighted to be part of this event that seeks to mobilize blood donors to donate blood during the Bleed for the Throne blood donation drive.   Ladies and Gentlemen, The Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) was established in the year 2000 under the Ministry of Health. Its mandate is to collect, test, process and distribute blood and blood products to all transfusing hospitals in Kenya. KNBTS has six Regio ..read more

Mombasa, 22nd February 2019, A tale of a blood recipient At first glance, Rose Atieno Auma could pass as your ordinary middle class girl in Mombasa city. The untold story is that her life depends on blood transfusion. “In the month of February 2019, I was transfused 10 units of blood following a serious health crisis; I was hospitalized for 2 weeks, five days, until I came back to life”. The 45 year old lady says she was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia when she was 5 years of age. Her parents struggled with her. Her basic education was very disruptive and it was only by chance that she was ..read more

Hiroshi Nagumo, Senior Vice President, Blood Center Solutions, Terumo BCT, Josephine Githaiga – Head, Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service, The highest Blood donors – Kennedy Apha Sanya and Aisha Dafalla, Senior Government Officials present, Invited guests, The Media Ladies and Gentlemen, I am delighted to preside over the launch of Terumo BCT, first regional office in sub-Saharan Africa in Nairobi tonight. Let me take this opportunity to welcome the company in Kenya in the spirit of African hospitality.   Ladies and Gentlemen, The Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) was esta ..read more

Post donation: Keep the strip bandage on for the next several hours; to avoid a skin rash, clean the area around the bandage with soap and water. Don’t do any heavy lifting or vigorous exercise for the rest of the day. If the needle site starts to bleed, apply pressure and raise your arm straight up for 5-10 minutes or until bleeding stops. If you experience dizziness or light-headedness, stop what you’re doing and sit down or lie down until you feel better; avoid performing any activity where fainting may lead to injury for at least 24 hours. Keep eating a well-balanced diet especially one ri ..read more

Day of your donation: Drink extra water (or other non-alcoholic drink) before your appointment. Eat a healthy meal, avoiding fatty foods like hamburgers, fries or ice cream. Wear a shirt with sleeves that you can roll up above your elbows. Let us know if you have a preferred arm or particular vein that has been used successfully in the past to draw blood. Relax, listen to music, talk to other donors or read while you donate. The post During Donation appeared first on Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service ..read more

BEFORE DONATION Haemoglobin level should be 12.5g/dl Normal blood pressure Weight at 50kg and above Aged 16-65 years Donor should not be under any medication Donors should not have been vaccinated in the recent past Individual suffering from chronic illness like asthma, High blood pressure are not eligible Women are not allowed to donate during their menstrual period Breastfeeding and pregnant women are not allowed to donate DONATION FREQUENCY Men: Every three months Women: Every four months Eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet with foods rich in iron and high in vitamin C. The post Before Don ..read more