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01.07.2017 Health

Greater Accra office of NHIA donates 500 pints of blood

By GNA
Greater Accra office of NHIA donates 500 pints of blood
01.07.2017 LISTEN

Accra, July 1, GNA - The Greater Accra Regional Office of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has donated 500 pints of blood to the National Blood Transfusion Service, since the inception of an annual blood donation exercise.

The blood donation exercise, which started four years ago, aims to augment the blood stock in the National Blood Bank to help assist emergencies.

Mr Lawrence Amartey, the Regional Director of NHIA, disclosed this in an interaction with the media at the 2017 edition of the NHIA Blood Donation exercise held at the Dr Docia A.N. Kisseih Hall of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association in Accra.

The exercise attracted more than 200 staff and national service personnel from all its 14 districts including Madina, Amasaman, Osu Clottey, Ablekuma, Adenta, and Tema to donate blood to support the National Bank.

The donors were screened of their haemoglobin level, blood pressure, weight as well as blood groups and other related diseases.

Mr Amartey said voluntary blood donation by staff of NHIA had become a routine that formed part of the corporate social responsibility initiatives of the NHIA.

He said the donation exercise has been incorporated in their programme to be embarked upon on a yearly basis and had been observed across all the regional offices.

Mr Amartey said the target for this year was 100 pints of blood and would continue to increase the quantity of the blood they mobilised annually.

Mr Stephen Danso, a Senior Blood Donor Officer at the National Blood Service, commended the NHIA for its enormous support over the years.

He said the donation was a necessity because patients needed blood transfusion to survive.

He said the demand at hospitals was higher and appealed to Ghanaians to voluntarily donate blood to save lives.

GNA

By Kwamina Tandoh/Mercy Manukure, GNA

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