About 800 police officers, on Saturday, donated blood as part of the Force’s efforts to help the national blood banks.

The blood donation exercise was held at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kacyiru and overseen by the National Centre for Blood Transfusion (NCBT).

Speaking to police officers who queued for the voluntary exercise, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), in charge of Administration and Personnel, Juvénal Marizamunda, said that "donating blood means giving life”.

DIGP Marizamunda thanked the officers for turning up in large numbers for the humanitarian act, and urged them to make the excercise a culture.

Explaining why RNP has for the past two years been actively involved in blood donation exercise, Marizamunda said: "Safety is a wide aspect; physical security and public healthcare are essential life needs. This is why police officers have committed themselves to join the campaign to have enough blood in the bank to save those in need and to save lives.”

This is the third time that police officers operating at the headquarters have donated blood. Similar exercises have also been held in other regional police units.

Dr. Swaibu Gatare, the Division Manager of the National Centre for Blood Transfusion (NCBT), commended RNP for being on the forefront to donate blood, and thanked each officer who participated.

"This is an act of saving lives...giving patients another chance to live,” Dr Gatare said.

"We always work together with RNP in ensuring public health; blood donation signifies the value our police have for the people,” he added.

Dr Gatare challenged other Rwandans to donate to the blood bank.

"It is quite important to have more blood in the bank to help patients in hospitals, especially victims of accidents and mothers giving birth,” Dr Gatare said.

The voluntary exercise is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between RNP and Rwanda Biomedical Centre, signed in March last year.

The agreement also focuses on fighting against illicit drugs, sexual and gender based violence; mental health interventions; prevention and detection of fraud and public funds embezzlement in healthcare agencies, among others.

The blood donation exercise also attracted several other top senior officers.

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