A purpose-driven blood bank is currently under construction at the Arua regional referral hospital with funds provided by the World Bank, and the government of Uganda amounting to Shs4.5 billion.
Dr. Alex Andema, Director of the Arua Regional Referral Hospital, said that of the total budget of Shs4.5 billion, Shs2.9 billion has been set aside for the construction of the facility. The remaining Shs1.6 billion will be used to purchase equipment, including a vehicle for the department.
Andema made this revelation during the handover and groundbreaking occasion of the construction works.
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The Development Infrastructure (DI) Construction Company, situated in Arua, was awarded the multibillion project for one year.
The entity partners with the central government to hire the contractor and consultant under the highbred contract. The blood bank and a staff house are also included in the project’s scope, according to Andema.
The staff house contains four units. Each unit has a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a washroom.
To guarantee the project’s success, Andema asked all stakeholders to closely monitor it. Additionally, he also requested the contractor to commit to the project. The commitment is to prevent subpar results.
Sunday Etrima Olise, the CEO of DI, claimed that they lack drive to carry out poor work.
According to him, there should be a six-month term of liability after the completion of the project in the construction industry. At such periods, the contractor is expected to remain on site to observe any issues. He or she is also required to make improvements if needed.
The purpose-driven blood bank expected impact on people’s lives
The regional blood bank’s head, Dr. Isaac Atiku, added that since they have a home, the purpose-driven blood bank would be used to process the various blood components for usage by Arua locals.
Dr. Alice Akello, the RCC for Arua, lauded Etrima for including the residents in the project and granting them ownership over it.
