Blood Transfusion Division
With an aim of being a Centre of excellence by conforming to International Blood and cornea tissue banking Standards, the Blood Transfusion Division has the mandate of providing safe, effective and adequate blood, blood products and cornea tissues to all patients in need.
BTD has five (5) Regional Centres for Blood transfusion (RCBTs) located in all administrative provinces and the City of Kigali. The Division has also a unit entitled Bio-banking unit (BBU). The unit is responsible for activities related to cornea tissue donation, retrieving, processing and distribution to all patients in need.
RCBTs carry out blood collections and other related activities in their catchment areas. Currently, blood is collected from 589 mobile blood collection sites established countrywide and from 5 fixed sites located at each RCBT.
BTD serves 80 transfusing public and private health facilities (Blood Transfusion Division Annual Report 2023).
Together with the Ministry of Health, the division sets national blood transfusion and cornea tissue banking policies and standards, including the National Quality Assurance and Control Program and its regular monitoring.
The division is responsible for organizing, supervising, and coordinating blood transfusion activities in Rwanda, promoting voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation, and analyzing, processing, and distributing blood and blood components to all hospitals in Rwanda.
The Division also, undergoes all activities related to cornea tissues including but not limited to cornea tissue donation, retrieving, processing and distribution.
The division also trains and upgrades knowledge on transfusion medicine and cornea tissue banking of BTD personnel, as well as users of blood, blood components and cornea tissues in Rwanda.
Dr Thomas MUYOMBANO
Email: thomas.muyombo@rbc.gov.rw
- The use of medical drones has been implemented to supply life-saving medical products, such as blood and vaccines, to remote hospitals throughout the country.
- Rwanda has become the second country to achieve Level 3 Accreditation in in blood transfusion by Africa Society for Blood Transfusion (AFSBT).
- BTD has a new unit that carry out all activities related to cornea tissue donation, retrieving, processing and distribution.
- Eyes (corneas) can be donated after death to be used for therapeutic, educational or scientific purposes.
- A living person can make a voluntary pledge donation of his/her eyes (corneas) during his or her lifetime by filling RBC online pledge form.
- A deceased person his/her eyes (corneas) can be donated by his or her family members for therapeutic, educational or scientific purposes after death.
- Cornea tissues will be distributed from Bio-banking unit operating under the Blood Transfusion Division (BTD).
