“Blood Has Never Been Enough Because We Always Fall Sick,” Says NRM Chairperson for Lira City West Division, Olipa

What the report says

The Dokolo Post reports that Tonny Olipa, the NRM chairperson for Lira City West Division, urged Ugandans to support blood donation efforts for patients facing shortages in hospitals. He made the appeal on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at GB Restaurant in Lira City after donating blood himself. Olipa said regular donations are needed to help people receiving treatment for conditions where blood is often urgently required, and he encouraged households, companies, and institutions to take part in future drives.

In his remarks, Olipa praised the Lira Pakistan Association community for organizing a blood donation exercise and described their participation as a positive example of service without discrimination. He said such initiatives show solidarity with patients and families who struggle to access blood in health facilities. The article attributes to him an emphasis on the importance of giving blood regardless of ethnicity or background.

The Pakistan Association’s president, Ateeq Muhammad Nawaz, said the donation drive was part of the group’s Independence Day activities and a way of giving back to communities in the Lango region. Hellen Grace Anyode, a senior blood donor recruitment officer at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, said turnout was strong and that more than 250 units had been collected during the exercise, with expectations the total would pass 300. She said the blood would help address needs linked to maternal emergencies, malaria, and sickle cell disease. In general, blood banks in Uganda and other countries often rely on community drives to meet routine demand, especially for emergency and pediatric care.