Ghanaians must donate blood to save lives

The General Manager of Takoradi International Company (TICO) Nana Osafo Adjie Kantanka, has urged Ghanaians to regularly donate blood to save lives.

He said an efficient national blood service would minimize maternal deaths and other emergencies that result in needless deaths in the country.

Nana Osafo-Adjie made the call over the weekend during a blood donation campaign embarked upon by TICO, in collaboration with Radio Maxx in Takoradi, to support the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital blood bank.

He commended the blood donors for their sacrifice and humanity and entreated other corporate entities to support in such worthy causes.

Mr. Francis Blay-Cudjoe, Deputy Chief Blood Donor Coordinator in the Western Region, said the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, the only referral health facility in the region, required 25,000 units of blood at any point in time.

He said currently there is a shortfall in the blood bank and called for an aggressive campaign to restock the blood bank since all 22 district hospitals and four polyclinics in the region depended on the facility for blood supply.

“Blood is needed for people who are severely anaemic, persons with surgical complications, pregnant women in labour, accident victims and other emergencies, therefore, there must be blood readily available at any point in time to cater for such cases," he stated.

Mr. Blay-Cudjoe stressed the need for aggressive public education to sensitize people to appreciate the need to donate blood and appealed to other corporate entities to support the hospital.