No Valentine? Be someone’s Time.

By Timothy Kiplimo

As the world marked Valentine’s Day, a special day commemorated by loved ones to express affection, Moi University medical students held a blood donation drive at the Regional Blood Transfusion Centre in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu to celebrate this special day.

 

The students have been running blood donation campaigns under their organization dubbed Uhai in the entire North Rift region, geared towards helping Kenyans suffering from critical illnesses especially cancer patients.

 

The organization started in the mid of 2023 has so far seen collection of over 1000 units of blood for patients with critical illness.

 

“Today we are here for the valentine blood drive in commemoration of the month of love, and we are doing this to show our love to our patients and in support of the National Childhood Cancer Awareness Day which will be tomorrow”- Benjamin Mogusu medical student at Moi University.

 

 

Cynthia Koech, medical student at Moi university noted that, most of the patients in wards need blood transfusion.

 

Majority of those in dire need are the victims of accidents, those who suffer from chronic diseases and children suffering from cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

 

Children undergoing chemotherapy require blood transfusion so that they can supplement the cells that have been lost in the process.

 

“There’s need to donate blood and to advocate for blood donation and to tell the people of Uasin Gishu and the nation at large, that blood donation is a crucial thing, and at some point, maybe you or your family member will need blood transfusion and you being a frequent blood donor, we at Uhai will be able to donate blood to you…”- added Koech.

 

 

Alex who is a medical student at Indiana University in United States of America points out that they only get 16% of the blood; which is not even a quarter of what is required at Moi Teaching and Referral hospital.

 

They are therefore joining Uhai to donate blood and raise awareness of the dire need of blood by those children who are suffering from cancer.

 

Sam Macharia who has donated blood a number of times now notes that the easiest way to help out a patient is by donating blood.

 

“I know you might not have the funds; you may not have the resources or skills, but you have the blood” -added Macharia.

 

 

While urging everybody to be a vanguard in the drive geared towards donating blood to help cancer patients, Jamila Ligare parting show was, “today I will urge all of you to go and donate blood, you might not have a valentine but you are definitely someone’s time…”