The new Green Park PSV terminus in Nairobi will have a blood collection centre as one of its amenities.
The Nairobi Metropolitan Service aims to meet the required 50,000 units of blood for arising medical needs in the city .
Last week, NMS in partnership with Life Bank and the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services launched Nairobi’s first smart blood bank .
This will be the second such public blood collection facility in Kenya after the Blood Transfusion Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital.
KNBTS says setting up of at least three blood centres in Nairobi will assist an estimated 2.1 million city residents.
Director Nduku Kilonzi had requested NMS to provide three more facilities where a smart bank blood centre can be set up.
NMS director general Mohammed Badi said upcoming bus termini will have blood centres.
“As Dr Nduku has said, this will not be the first and the last as she has requested to get three more areas within Nairobi county for the blood collection and I would like to tell her that her request for Green Park is hereby approved,” he said.
Green Park Terminus is almost complete. Badi asked KNBTS to ensure the blood centre is operational by August 1.
“At NMS we work with timelines and I hope it will be operational by August 1. Therefore, I challenge my director of health to put in efforts to ensure that the smart bank will be operational by then,” he added.
Green Park Terminus located at Railways Club will be the drop-off and pick-up point for matatus plying Ngong and Lang’ata routes once the NMS starts implementing decongestion plans in the Central Business District.
The terminus will host a blood donation centre, police station, dispensary, supermarket and restaurant among other amenities.
KNBTS will set up another blood centre at the Globe roundabout, which will be converted into a bus terminus for PSVs plying Eastleigh route and Thika Superhighway.
Badi emphasized that NMS is committed to setting up more blood collection centres in partnership with the KNBTS and other like-minded partners.
“Blood transfusion is under health services devolved to counties and for us to bring this service nearer to the people who need it, we have thought of how we can scale up the blood services and establishments across the counties,” Nduku said.