Mrs Joyce Oppong Adu, a Senior Blood Recruitment Officer of the National Blood Transfusion Service, has urged Ghanaians to discard the notion that donating blood would negatively affect their health.
She said a prospective donor was thoroughly screened for medical disorders before the bleeding process so that a donor would not be put at risk, likewise the beneficiary patients.
The screening process covers diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis ‘’B’’, Blood Pressure, and Syphilis.
Mrs Adu gave the advice at a blood donation exercise at the Ashongman Community Hospital. The exercise was done in collaboration with the National Blood Bank, Ga East District Health Directorate and Save Your Liver Foundation.
Mrs Adu, therefore, expressed regret over the unwillingness of the public to donate blood and the lack of knowledge and understanding about the essence and the benefits of blood donation.
She said a total of 250,000 units of blood was needed annually to meet the national blood demand.
Mrs Adu appealed to the public to help the blood bank by donating generously in order to save more lives.
Mr Storms Wells, Programme Coordinator of the Community Hospital, said the exercise was necessary to ensure the availability of blood to meet the needs of patients, especially accident victims and pregnant women.
About 500 people from Ashongman Estates and its environs made the donation.
Source: GhanaWeb
