Ghana needs over 250,000 units of blood annually – Official
The national demand for safe blood for patients is more than 250,000 units annually, but the national collection is far less than 50 per cent.
Mr Stephen Danso, a Blood Donor Recruitment Officer of the Accra Area National Blood Transfusion Service, said this in an interview with newsmen at a blood donation exercise by the members of the Adabraka Official Town District Presbyterian Church of Ghana.
The donation forms part of activities of the 5th anniversary of the Young Adults’ Fellowship (YAF) of the Church at the church’s premises in Accra.
It was on the theme: “The Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Young Adults (1 Cor. 12: 4-11).”
Mr Danso said if one per cent of the nation’s population could donate one pint of blood, the acute shortages in the hospitals would cease and it would go a long way in preventing needless maternal mortality and other deaths.
Mr Danso explained that the life-span of blood donated is only 35 days and that this leads to acute shortages at the blood banks adding that people should not think that the blood they donated would be there for them to use when the needs arose.
He said one can donate blood four times in a year and that the fear that one may lose weight or would contract diseases after donating was not true.
Mr Danso called on corporate and religious bodies to make their members available to donate blood, particularly the youth who are healthier today, to save lives whilst urging individuals who could not do so, to support such activities.
Reverend Joseph Badu-Sekyere, Adabraka Official Town Presbyterian Church District Minister, said in the era of moral decadence coupled with socio-economic and political challenges, Ghanaians needed the beacon of light to bring hope to their existence.
He said “as young adults you must collectively and individually need to offer selfless contributions both in cash or in kind to help the Church to grow to the glory of God”.
Rev Badu-Sekyere called on the YAF members to be ambassadors of Christ in the society and be a catalyst of the growth of the church in a conducive environment of peace and unity.
Mr Elliot Ofori Semanhyia, President of the YAF, urged the members to put on the whole armour of God through prayers, faith and the word of God to overcome all storms of the devil.
He paid glowing tribute to the founding members who contributed in various ways to the growth of the fellowship for the past five years whilst congratulating members for their remarkable achievement of the church.
There were goodwill messages from other ministers of the church.
Three ministers of the church and 15 of both outgoing and incoming executives of the YAF were honoured and awarded for their various distinguished roles they played in the activities of the church.
Source: GNA