Doctors hunt for donors as blood shortage hits KATH

The blood transfusion unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is in a dire state as blood stocks is at its lowest in the only tertiary referral facility in the middle belt of Ghana.

The unit is unable to pool blood from schools, religious institutions and other organized bodies as these institutions which form its regular sources are shut because of COVID 19 restrictions.

The hospital has been forced to set up donation sites at its blood transfusion unit and the Kumasi City Mall to avert any emergency health crisis.

“Blood Service cannot predict blood supply needs during a pandemic like we have. However a sufficient blood supply must remain available so that we can treat our patients,” a clearly frustrated head of the Blood Transfusion Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Dr Shirley Ofori Owusu bemoaned.

“Some pregnant women still bleed excessively, cancer patients are still on treatment, Children are being rushed to hospitals with severe anaemia, accidents are still happening and people still need blood,” she described.

KATH needs 70 to 80 units of blood on the average every day with the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Cancer Unit, Surgical Wards and the Accident and Emergency Centre taking a huge chunk.

Speaking to Ultimate News at the Kumasi City Mall donation site, Senior Blood Donation Organizer Bernard Arhin, however, indicated that the team was not meeting their targets.

“Currently as I speak, we are expecting about 70 to 80 units of blood but anytime we come, we are not able to meet our targets and we are still encouraging people to come around to donate,” he beckoned.

Meanwhile some spirited residents of Kumasi who heeded the call told reporter Ivan Heathcote – Fumador, how urgent people need to volunteer to save lives.

A young man averred, “I am someone who is afraid of needles but anytime I hear them call, I try and take part because you might not know when a brother or sister might be in need.”

The reality, however, stares glare that until several persons move in to donate blood, emergency health care at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital remains in limbo.