Following a training in a blood transfusion course, Mungula Health Centre IV has moved strides in putting into action the skills and knowledge they acquired from the training.Before the training, a needs assessment for the facility was done and the facility identified transfusion services as their greatest need.

A trainer was thus identified to deliver a training in the area and the knowledge and skills gap was thus closed. The training was attended by 15 facility staff and as is expected after every Support to the Development of Human Resources training, action points are set with clear performance indicators and timelines of implementation.

In the action plans set by Mungula after this training, they planned on designing and producing standard operating procedures for the health facility blood transfusion practices, form a health center transfusion committee to oversee internal supervision and to carry out continuous medical education for staff members on topics related to blood transfusion medicine.


Emmanuel Aniape, the hospital in-charge, states that the training was fruitful and the results on the ground are visible and he further states, “we now have a blood transfusion unit that even supplies to the main hospital.”As a standard operating procedure, blood grouping and cross matching is done to confirm that the blood to be transfused is a pure match even when the blood arrives already marked and grouped. This ensures the patient is a confirmed match for the blood.


Their laboratory is well equipped to handle the blood groupings and cross match with staff that attended the training.On a few occasions, this knowledge and action I place has helped them save lives of patients in dire need. As he narrates, “There is a mother we gave back life. It took 3 units of blood and an able team to transfuse the blood. If we hadn’t gotten the training, she would be no more. For that and many others, we are grateful.”One of their greatest challenges however is electricity.

They run the blood store on solar power that may not be sufficient. This thus forces them to only stock a few pints that can fit in their small refrigerator. Also, the blood bank that supplies the blood to them sometimes takes a longer time to supply them blood and in cases of emergency, they have no blood in their store.

All in all, the facility is grateful for the training that they are using to save lives that would have been lost otherwise.