The Upper East Regional Directorate of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has organised a blood donation exercise to help restock the Blood Bank of the Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga. The exercise, which formed part of the corporate social responsibility of the Authority, was to assist the hospital to offer quality healthcare for clients, especially during emergencies. The initiative, which was being carried out nationwide, was to further sensitise and encourage citizens who are in the position to donate blood to do so to help healthcare providers at the hospital to save lives. Speaking on the sidelines of the exercise held in Bolgatanga, Mr Sebastian Mawuli Hotor, the Upper East Regional Director of the FDA, said the move was part of the mandate of the Authority to contribute to ensuring public health and safety. He said the constant blood availability at the healthcare facilities was critical to saving lives during emergencies. He also underscored the need for all stakeholders to contribute towards restocking the blood bank of the hospital. Mr Mawuli disclosed that the regional directorate of the Authority recorded over 100 people donating blood in 2022 during a similar exercise and expressed the hope that the number would increase this year. ‘If you have not been there, I pray you do not get there because it is not a pleasant experience at all to be in need of blood when there is a shortage.’ So as long as you have been screened and it is shown that you are eligible and you have enough blood to donate, please donate, he said. Madam Ajaratu Issah, the Head of Blood Mobilisation at the Blood Bank of the Upper East Regional Hospital, noted that the hospital often ran out of blood due to the huge number of patients in need of blood and called on the public to donate to help restock the blood bank. She demystified misconceptions surrounding blood donation, noting that donating blood made the donor healthier as there was the need to always get rid-off excess blood to stay healthy. ‘Blood donation helps prevent heart attack and heart disease because sometimes if your blood level is too much, it can lead to dizziness and makes the heart pumps faster and works more than it should work and sometimes predisposes you to other health conditions,’ she added. Ms Berla Akansi, a student of Bolgatanga Midwifery College, a blood donor, noted that donating her blood was part of her duty as a citizen to help save the lives of those in need and encouraged others to do same. Ms Alice Abaraga, another student, who also took part in the blood donation exercise, noted that it was fulfilling to know that her blood could be used to save the life of another person. She said as a potential midwife who would deal more with pregnant women and children, it was important to lead by example, by donating blood to help save pregnant women and their unborn children who were mostly in need of blood.
Source: Ghana News Agency
