The Malawi Blood Transfusion Services (MBTS) has hailed Illovo Sugar Malawi for donating Blood Bank Fridge worth MK 13.1 Million to lowershire districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa.
MBTS Chief Executive Officer, Natasha Nsamala, was speaking at St Montfort Hospital in Chikwawa district during the handover ceremony of the state of the art Blood Bank Fridge to Nsanje and Chikwawa district health offices.
“We are truly grateful that Illovo heeded our call for assistance in a very speedy manner.
This is a truly momentous occasion because MBTS for the first time will have a blood bank fridge in the lower shire which will increase access to blood units,” said Nsamala
Managing Director for Illovo Malawi Managing Director, Lekani Katandula, said the Blood Bank Fridge will help to save lives of people in need of blood in the Lowershire districts.
“Blood is vital to life and having readily available blood for transfusions saves lives. The blood bank fridge we are donating today will enable the storage of up to 250 units of blood that are to be available for chikwawa and Nsanje district,”
“More importantly we hope that this important piece of equipment will be well look after and maintained so that it can contribute to saving lives for a long time to come,” said Katandula while appealing to Malawians to donate blood in order to save lives.
Illovo Malawi is one of the country’s largest single private-sector employer providing direct employment for 9 000 people permanent, seasonal and casual employees and an additional 5 000 direct and indirect contractors creating a total of 14 000 jobs.
Illovo is also a major contributor to the Malawian tax authorities through direct and indirect taxes.
Many local industries are dependent upon Illovo for their viability and the employment created by these businesses provides an income base for many more families than are directly employed.
The company further supports an estimated 5 200 smallholder cane farmers through various smallholder schemes.