Melcom Care Foundation launches nationwide blood donation exercise

By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, July 30, GNA - The Melcom Care Foundation, the charitable wing of the Melcom Group of Companies, in collaboration with National Blood Transfusion Service, has organised its annual nationwide blood donation exercise.

The exercise, which was held simultaneously at the Group's 18 designated centres in nine regions across the country, was part of efforts to help stock the National Blood Bank.

Speaking at the launch at Melcolm Plus, North Kaneshie Branch, Accra, Mr Godwin Avenorgbo, the Director of Communications, Melcom Group of Companies, said the road accident history of Ghana, showed that as a country efforts in road safety and the saving of lives of accident victims, are not impressive particularly those who require blood transfusion as a necessity.

He said the National Road Safety Commission records indicate that from January to November last year 1,474 people lost their lives in road accidents involving 15,505 vehicles while 8,448 suffered various degrees of injuries.

Mr Avenorgbo said the Motor Traffic and Transport Directorate of the Ghana Police Service also recorded 554 pedestrian knock downs, 447 deaths and 2,381 injured in road accidents, in the second quarter of 2015 alone.

'While we call upon the authorities to tighten up on safety measures, we also call on Ghanaians and residents to voluntarily donate blood to save lives of such victims, pregnant mothers and all others who due to some ailments require blood transfusion,' he said.

The Director of Communications noted that Melcom had embarked on blood donation exercises for a number of years, however since 2013 the Group transformed from single centre blood donation to a nationwide campaign.

He said the objectives of the campaign is to bring to the fore the importance of blood donation as a life saving opportunity and to create a common platform in all regions of Ghana for the mobilisation of donors.

The rest are to offer Community Service in all areas of its shopping centres for the health benefit of their patrons and all citizens as a whole.

And also to lead the campaign for achieving efficiency in blood donation campaigns for the maximum benefit of the national health delivery system.

Mr Avenorgbo said in 2013 the exercise achieved 435 pints of blood, 639 pints in 2014, as well as 824 pints of blood in 2015.

He stated these figures had been acknowledged by the National Blood Transfusion Service with awards of recognition to Melcom Care Foundation, however in the Group's target perspectives they are still low.

He urged Ghanaians to support the activities of the National Blood Bank to help save the lives of expectant mothers as well as accident victims.

GNA