KATH honours donors and campaigners

Kumasi, Dec 3, GNA - The management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) on Friday, honoured Sheikh Abbas Lamina Yusif, National Blood Donor Campaigner for the Al-Sunna Wal-Jamaa, who has recruited 2,000 voluntary blood donors for the hospital since 1997. A citation in his honour said, "Since 1997 you have shown great interest in recruiting voluntary blood donors for the transfusion medicine unit of KATH and have since recruited over 2,000 donors for the hospital".

The citation was read at a ceremony for voluntary blood donors, organizations, educational institutions and religious organization in Kumasi as part of the 50th anniversary of KATH.

It said, "You have collected about 300 units of blood for the sake of KATH patients this year and you only motivation has always been the love and sympathy you have for the sick".

"As an Islamic leader and Arabic instructor you have set a shining example for your Islamic colleagues to emulate," it added.

Mr Ali Mohammed, a first-year Computer Science student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), who had donated 41 times, was also presented with a television set while Mr Samuel Amissah who had donated 27 times had a video deck.

Mr Musa Alhassan had Ghetto Bluster for donating 25 times with Mr Kenneth Brenya receiving a standing fan 23 donations while Miss Dora Dua, took a table top fan as the leading female donor for 10 donations. Four voluntary donors also received a pressing iron each while some religious organizations, companies and educational institutions and their teachers were also honoured for their continuous support. Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, commended the donors for their efforts and called on other people to emulate them. He stressed the government's commitment to update and improve health delivery facilities in the country.

Professor Ernestine Akosua Addy, Professor of Community Health, School of Medical Sciences of the KNUST, called on Ghanaians to fight against taboos and fears they had about blood donation.

She said there was no risk in blood donation as it was not possible to acquire any disease through it except in extreme cases where improperly sterilized equipment was used, adding that, "The incidence of this has become rare".

Dr (Mrs) Shirley Owusu-Ofori, Head of the Transfusion Medicine Unit of KATH, said the hospital had strived over the last three years to increase voluntary blood donations from 32 per cent to nearly 60 per cent this year.