Daud Ahmed, Garissa County Kenya Red Cross Coordinator, and Garissa KWS warden Aden Jelle during a blood donation exercise. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Garissa leaders are calling on residents to donate blood voluntarily, warning that reliable supplies can mean the difference between life and death for hospital patients, especially women facing childbirth complications.
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The appeal came on Tuesday at a blood drive held at Garissa Level 5 Teaching and Referral Hospital by the Kenya Red Cross Society’s Garissa branch in partnership with the Garissa Regional Blood Transfusion Centre.
The exercise drew 34 donors—23 men and 11 women—and collected four pints of blood.
Those who donated included Garissa Senator Abdul Haji, hospital deputy chief executive Dr Bashey Ahmed, Ijara MCA Abdirahman Muktar and Waberi MCA Abubakar Sugow.
Haji said giving blood was a straightforward yet powerful way to save lives, particularly in a region where maternal health continues to pose a significant challenge.
He identified postpartum haemorrhage—excessive bleeding following childbirth—as one of the leading causes of maternal deaths.
The senator said a mother’s survival could depend on how quickly she received safe and compatible blood.
“When a mother loses a lot of blood, every minute matters. Access to safe, screened and compatible blood can make the difference between life and death,” he said.
Haji said leaders’ duties extended beyond policymaking and development projects.
He called on them to rally communities behind actions that safeguard lives.
“Our mothers should not have to depend on last-minute appeals to relatives or friends when they are fighting for their lives in delivery rooms,” he said.
Garissa County Kenya Red Cross coordinator Daud Ahmed encouraged young people, business owners, civil servants, religious institutions and other community groups to make blood donation a regular form of service to society.
He said mosques, churches, schools, colleges and workplaces could help recruit donors while spreading awareness of the need for regular blood donations.
Dr Ahmed praised the donors and organisers, saying the drive showed that protecting lives was a shared responsibility.
He urged residents to build on the initiative and turn it into a sustained movement that would support maternal health and strengthen healthcare services in Garissa and the wider Northeastern region.
