Juba Teaching Hospital is urging the public to donate blood in order to help save the lives of patients who need blood for surgical operations.

There is no enough blood for emergency ceases in the hospital because people in South Sudan are afraid of donating blood, according to officials.

Although the blood bank was officially opened in July this year, there is still lack of blood because people do not come and donate blood to the blood bank, said Dr. Wani Lolik, Director General.

Dr. Lolik told Eye Radio’s Dawn program that blood donation should be adopted as a culture so that there is always enough blood in the hospital for helping patients who are in critical condition.

“The only community that donates blood is the Indian community in South Sudan, but South Sudanese don’t donate blood except when they have relatives, in-laws and other loved ones are in critical condition,” he lamented.

“Here is South Sudan people say: ‘blood bank ‘blood bank’, but go there now and see for yourself whether there is blood available.”

Dr. Wani Lolik said that the blood bank is supposed to supply the hospitals with blood.