Losing lives due to unavailability of blood unfortunate

Maame Kwaaba Stephens, Brand Ambassador, National Blood Service, has described as unfortunate how many people continue to lose their lives due to shortage of blood in the country.

The Brand Ambassador, who is also the Director of Kaysens Group, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency during a blood donation exercise at the Ga East Municipal Hospital (GEMH), organised by the Group to support the facility in boosting its blood bank to save lives.

She said : ” I don’t think anyone should lose his or her life if there is something you and I can do about it, so I felt that the Valentine’s Day is a good day to organise such an exercise for people to show their love by donating blood to the facility for it to be able to save many more lives.”

” People should not only donate on Valentine's Day, we can show our love on any other day just to save lives,” she added.

According to the Brand Ambassador, similar exercises would be done in schools and communities to help save lives.

Evelyn Anoff, Head of Quality and Safety Management Unit of GEMH, said the facility had experienced shortage of blood on several occasions and had to rely on neighbouring facilities for blood, adding that the exercise was the best initiative to stock the blood bank and to save many lives.

She said: “Once we have all the blood we need, issues with blood will be minimised because we will not have to go all the way to Achimota, LEKMA , 37 Military Hospital or Korle-Bu for blood.”

Dr. Roxana Polinicio-Segborwotso, Head of Clinical Services, GEMH, expressed worry that even though blood remained one of the main products that saved lives, it was not readily available and that the facility continued to experience constant shortage.

“So, this exercise is really necessary because we want the community to know and accept the importance of donating blood to support the facility so that we can also save lives”, she said.

The Hospital is expecting at least 100 units of blood to serve clients in critical condition.

Some staff at the Hospital also donated blood.

Dr. Elorm Adase, a staff, who donated, said he was motivated by the stress in search of blood to save lives.

GNA