HEALTH workers who indulge themselves in unethical conduct such as sale of blood, risk being prosecuted or dismissed, the Director Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, in the Ministry of Health, Dr Peter Kataaha has said.

Dr Kataaha said whereas the public gives free blood to save lives, a few cases of unethical health workers have continuously deprived the public of their rights by selling blood to patients when they are meant to receive it free.

"The sale and buying of blood is illegal and whoever is caught will be posecuted," Dr Kataaha said. He was on Thursday responding to questions from journalists as to why Mbale patients needing blood are sometimes charged Shs30,000 by health workers.

Dr Kataaha urged the public and the media to report such incidents to them or the police so that the culprits are prosecuted. Dr Kataaha said unless the community continues to donate blood, especially now that activities have commenced at the newly constructed modern regional blood bank in Mbale, the government may find it hard to save lives.

The new facility worthy $500m, was constructed using funds from the Presidency Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) through the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

Mbale District is the first to receive the facility under phase one, although the districts of Gulu, Masaka, Arua, Mbarara and Fort portal among others are scheduled to receive the same facilities.