Persons unknown rob National Blood Centre in Maputo, Mozambique

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Persons unknown rob National Blood Centre in Maputo, Mozambique

9:05 CAT | 09 Aug 2016

File photo

A group of unknown individuals broke into the National Blood Reference Centre in the Mozambican capital last night, wounding one of the guards, and made off with computer equipment used for testing blood and a car that was parked outside.

According to A Verdade, the four armed assailants immobilised the guard at the entrance of the building, who was also armed and carrying a truncheon, and went on into the facility, where they immobilised a further three guards.

Once assured that they could set about their thievery without hindrance, the gang proceeded to the rear of the building, where they broke one of the windows in order to gain access to the interior.

On departing, the miscreants stole a car parked outside in an area that serves as overnight parking for residents of the surrounding Mavalane neighbourhood.

This was the second such attack in less than a month.

Inaugurated little more than a year go, in December 2014, the reference centre is aimed at guaranteeing the availability of good quality and safe blood for transfusions, promoting blood donation and collecting blood from donors (from fixed posts and mobile brigades), and ensuring that blood is safely stored and then distributed to the hospitals.

The Centre and its equipment were financed by the United States government. U$4.2 million were provided from PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) and the total American support for Mozambique’s blood transfusion programme had at that time reached US$13 million , according to AIM, Dec 22, 2014.

Source: A Verdade / AIM