Mogadishu, (ANN)– The Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E Xasan Cali Khayre, on Sunday laid the foundation for the construction of a National Blood Bank Facility. Somalia did not have a functioning national blood bank for close to three decades.

This critical project is being implemented through a partnership between the Federal Government of Somalia and willing development partners and will, upon completion, go along the way is assuaging dire blood shortages in the country. Phase one of the project is anticipated to store 10,000 units of blood.

The launch of this project is a key milestone for the Social Development Road map and coincides with the second anniversary since the infamous 14 October 2017 truck bombings in Mogadishu in which hundreds of our people lost their lives, many due to severe loss of blood.

Speaking at the site, the Somali Prime Minister observed, ‘establishing a blood bank, therefore, becomes more urgent given our context, as it mitigates deaths as a result of bleeding. Providing reliable blood transfusion services will be fundamental to our health sector reform’.

The Government of Somalia is committed to enhancing the delivery of essential services to the Somali people through the implementation of responsive and proactive policy initiatives, through collaboration with development partners.

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Communications and media department
Mogadishu, Somalia