This week has been full of drama, but taking the first spot is the move by Uganda Blood Transfusion Services to refuse blood that was about to be donated by Forum for Democratic Change - FDC party.
While this caused a backlash on social media with several people criticizing the blood transfusion services, the organization says FDC did not clearly reveal its identity in organizing a blood donation drive at its offices in Najjanankumbi.
UBTS, a government body mandated with ensuring availability of blood, blood transfusion and safety activities, shunned a blood donation drive organized by the FDC youth league on Wednesday.
Earlier, FDC had announced that the drive sought to partially address the critical shortage of blood in line a UBTS-flagged drive running under the hash tag #YouTooCan. UBTS announced it needed more than 240,000 litres of blood to meet the need of the country. It had fallen short by 160,000 litres after drives in Kampala last month.
However with such a loss, one would think UBTS is desperate to take any blood, provided it is safe but this is not the case.
The story is that hundreds of potential blood donors converged at the FDC offices in Najjanankumbi, along Entebbe road, some not even FDC members but well-wishers from surrounding communities, only to be frustrated by an agency whose staff never turned up as anticipated. Tempers flared as the group accused UBTS of hiding under partisan lines to reject 'FDC Blood'.
Micheal Makundane, the Public Relations Officer at UBTS however dismissed accusations that the body shunned the drive on partisan ground, explaining that the body wants blood from every person as long as they are medically eligible and not because they are attached to a particular political party.
Mukundane said that UBTS did not show up because FDC had not clearly revealed their identity when they wrote to host a blood drive.
However, Harold Kaija the FDC Deputy Secretary General referred to yesterday's event as an act against humanity. He denied claims that they hid their identity when they wrote to offer to carry out a blood drive.
"We did not pretend to be anyone else. They are lying. We sent FDC representatives to talk to them. They knew who they were dealing with and they knew that the drive would take place at the FDC headquarters."
According to Kaija, the political party sent a delegation that comprised of their secretary for health and the chairperson of their youth league Robert Mayanja to meet with UBTS about the prospect of them playing a role in availing blood.
And, during the various meetings, UBTS Programs Officer William Mugisha and Micheal Mukundane agreed on the program that was to be followed in the donation drive, also providing posters with the date on which the blood donation would take place.
This is the second time that UBTS has carried out talks of blood drives with FDC and not shown up.
"The first time, we talked to them and wanted to go to City Square and hold a blood drive because they said that they did not have blood and they agreed. The following day they announced that they have enough blood."
He accuses UBTS of putting politics before the lives of Ugandans.
