Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, has underscored the vital role of blood availability in achieving Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals, particularly in reducing maternal deaths and saving lives during emergencies.
Speaking during a meeting with the Kenya Blood Transfusion and Transplant Services (KBTTS) team, Dr. Oluga highlighted the urgent need to strengthen internal supply chains, improve planning, and upgrade equipment to ensure the reliable availability of safe blood and blood products across the country.
“Public trust and confidence is key,” said Dr. Oluga, noting that governance challenges must be addressed to keep the service focused on national health priorities. “We must represent the government—not personal or external interests.”
He urged the KBTTS staff to work cohesively, support one another in service delivery, and embrace innovation. He also called for building stronger partnerships with philanthropies and other stakeholders to enhance blood service capacity and sustainability.
Aligning with the government’s broader health agenda, Dr. Oluga emphasized the need to rethink funding models, resolve operational bottlenecks, and use resources more strategically. “We must plan well and be clear about what we want to deliver. Let us be agents of the Ministry,” he stated.
He further committed to addressing key operational, human resource, and infrastructure issues while advocating for an enabling environment that respects and motivates both donors and frontline health workers.
In a shift aligned with WHO guidance, Kenya has transitioned from whole blood to blood component transfusion, a move that improves efficiency and patient outcomes. The Directorate has also rolled out the Damu-KE digital system to manage blood services nationwide. Today, all 47 counties have facilities to store and process blood, supported by six regional centers.
Dr. Oluga lauded the directorate’s performance last financial year, when it collected 449,000 units of blood, surpassing its 400,000-unit target. Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth praised the milestone and called for continued collaboration with counties, enhanced resource mobilization, development of clinical guidelines, and swift passage of the Blood Transfusion Bill.
The meeting marked a renewed commitment to ensuring no patient in Kenya dies due to lack of blood, reinforcing the principle that safe blood is essential to saving lives and delivering equitable healthcare under the UHC framework.
