Less Than 1% of Ghanaians Donate Blood

Less than one per cent of the Ghanaian population donates blood to the National Blood Service (NBS); a Senior Blood Programme Officer at the Southern Sector of the Service, Mr Stephen Danso has revealed.

This he said, has led to limited amount of blood in the NBS blood banks across the country.

According to Mr. Danso, if only NBS could get one per cent of Ghanaians to willingly donate, the banks would have enough to cater for patients who may need blood transfusion therapies.

He made the disclosure at the Blood Donation Exercise organised by the Hospital Outreach Arm of Christ Embassy at the Love World Arena in Accra over the weekend.

Mr Danso therefore called on individuals and corporate bodies to make a conscious and continuous effort to release one of their most priceless substances―blood to save a dying soul.

“Blood donation is our civil responsibility and blood can only be stored for 35 days…the demand is so high…people should freely and voluntarily respond to our call and regularly donate to save lives,” he appealed.

“You don’t need to wait for a donation exercise before you donate…you can just walk into any of the regional hospitals or the centres to donate blood to save a life,” Mr. Danso added.

Blood Not for Sale

In an answer to a question, he emphasised that NBS does not sell blood to patients when others had donated freely, insisting that, “We don’t sell blood.”

To clear notions that blood was sold, he said money collected from patients was not for the blood but for the processing of the blood before use.

“Our core duty is to ensure that the blood is made safe and that the efficacy of the blood is high enough. When they donate, we screen the blood for infections and it goes with a cost…the blood needs to be stored properly.

“The process goes with cost so, whoever is coming for blood will have to pay for the processing fee so that we can have enough funds to screen the blood and make it available, accessible and timely for patients,” he argued.

Donation

The Zonal Pastor of the Church, Pastor Biodun Lawal had given the mandate for the exercise as part of the church’s Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR).

According to Daniel Ferguson, Deputy facilitator for the exercise, the church seeks to make donations twice every year.

Prior to the donation, the church donated GH¢4,200 for the discharge of persons who could not pay their bills at the Korle-Bu children’s ward.

They also ministered to over 100 people with prayer and Christian literature.

Source: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]