Kagwe Requests Special Valentine Gift From Kenyans

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe during a press briefing in July 2020.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe during a press briefing in July 2020.
Twitter

Health Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe, has requested citizens to donate blood as a special valentine gift for Kenyans.

Speaking during a blood donation campaign drive, Kagwe thanked the direction that the leadership of the National Blood Service parastatal led by Dr. Nduku had taken.

“If there is a gift that would be a fantastic gift to give to Kenyans on Valentine’s day; it would be blood’’ said Kagwe.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe addressing the media on November 26, 2020
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe addressing the media on November 26, 2020
File

The CS further advised that if is someone offered flowers during valentine, the recipient should also ask for a blood donation certificate in addition to the flowers.

''If asked to choose between flowers or receiving a blood donation certificate, forfeit the flowers.'' said CS Kagwe.

According to Kagwe,  98 percent of Kenyans can donate blood comfortably and operate normally adding that doctors recommend regularly donating blood. 

The Health CS commended the leadership team saying he has noted the changes and the directions the parastatal took after Dr. Nduku took over in the sector. 

According to CS Kagwe, "Some of the challenges the parastatal was facing would be comical if not so tragic because we hear Kenyan blood banks have been servicing places like Mogadishu because the previous management over looked loopholes tainting our image."

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe during a press briefing in May 2020.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe during a press briefing in May 2020.
Kenyans.co.ke

Kagwe noted that the issue of blood is a vital part in the Universal health care adding that due to the Covid- 19 pandemic it is easy for some sectors of healthcare to be forgotten because all the attention is on managing the pandemic.

Kagwe said his ministry had recommended several measures to boost Kenya's blood bank including predicating transparency and efficiency in ICT to track blood from the giver to the user and introduction of blood policy as a bill in Parliament.

He added that the ministry will start training and staffing personnel and move National blood services from a parastatal in the Ministry of Health to an independent institution.

Kagwe thanked Kenyans who have been on the front line when it comes to blood donation adding that some will be recognized today.

Principal Secretary Ministry of Health, Susan Mochache, who was also in attendance thanked the CS for leading the ministry to achieve transformative change for the Kenya National Blood Transfusion services which has improved the image of the parastatal.

The PS also stated that the ministry has mobilized resources for the blood campaign drive as it has received funding of Ksh1B from the World Bank for purposes of revamping the infrastructure for blood services parastatal.

  • .