Senior Presidential Advisor on health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, says lack of safe blood leads to severe impact on mortality and unsafe transfusions on women with complications in pregnancy. He said it also has effect on trauma victims and children with severe anemia.
Dr Nsiah-Asare was speaking at a blood donation exercise held by the National Blood Donor Service of Ghana in collaboration with the Rotary Clubs of Accra and Accra Ridge at its 23rd National Blood Donor Day Celebration in Accra.
It was on the theme “WE LIVE BECAUSE YOU GIVE’’ ‘GIVE BLOOD, GIVE PLASMA, SHARE LIFE AND SHARE OFTEN.”
Dr. Nsiah-Asare who spoke on behalf of the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia entreated all citizens eligible to donate blood on regular basis four times in a year if possible and ineligible individuals can serve as volunteers in recruiting voluntary blood donors.
The National Blood Donor Day was Instituted by the National Blood Service and is celebrated the last Monday in November every year.
The National Blood Donor Day was instituted to recognize and thank voluntary unpaid blood donors in the country for their selfless gift of blood through a commemorative formal gathering and raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure that all individuals and communities have access to affordable and timely supplies of safe and quality- assured blood and blood products as an integral part of universal health coverage and a key component of effective health systems.
The theme GIVE BLOOD, GIVE PLASMA, SHARE LIFE, SHARE OFTEN focuses on patients requiring life- long transfusion support and underscores the role every single person can play by giving it regularly, safe and sustainable supply of blood and blood product that can always be available all over the country so that every patient in need of blood or plasma can receive timely treatment.
Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare said, his office in collaboration with the Ministry of Health will lead the resource mobilization needed to establish regional Centres and will improve geographical assets of blood products to patients. And regular blood donation exercises to help save life of patients in the country.
He urges the media to make a wider public awareness of blood donation.
Chief Executive Officer of the National Blood Service, Dr. Shirley Owusu Ofori says, voluntary repeat blood donations are the key to a sustainable supply of adequate safe blood for our country. And therefore, advocated for more donors to donate to the blood bank.