Health News of Friday, 16 June 2023

Source: GNPC Foundation

GNPC donates blood to restock National Blood Bank

A scene from the blood donation exercise organised by Ghana National Petroleum Corporation A scene from the blood donation exercise organised by Ghana National Petroleum Corporation

In furtherance of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation's (GNPC) core objectives in Health Campaigns, the corporate body teamed up with the National Blood Service to organise a 2-day blood donation exercise under the theme “SAVE A LIFE”. As a responsible entity, it is necessary and proportional to enter into partnerships with other like-minded institutions such as the National Blood Service to impact the lives of Ghanaians.

The 2-day event began on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at two bleeding centres; Takoradi Technical University and Sekondi Nursing & Midwifery College. Friday, June 16, 2023, marked the climax of the programme at Ghana Secondary Technical School and Takoradi Secondary School.

The event successfully put together several employees from GNPC as well as students from the aforementioned schools to participate in the blood donation exercise.

Safety protocols were observed throughout the event to ensure the safety of donors. Donors were assessed based on weight, haemoglobin levels, blood pressure, and health-related factors, among others.

In all, over 500 units of blood were realised from the Foundation’s “save a life “campaign to restock Ghana’s reserves.

The Executive Director of GNPC Foundation, Dr Dominic Kwesi Eduah who commissioned this project remarked that many Ghanaians die as a result of inadequate blood supply. And that people of sound health status should consistently and regularly voluntarily donate blood to save others who are in critical condition.

"The blood you donate today will go a long way to save the lives of pregnant women who need blood to recover, accident victims, patients who undergo surgery, children in dire need and other people who need a blood transfusion to manage health conditions," he said.

Dr Eduah assured that this exercise which is the first of its kind organised by the Foundation will not be a flash in a pan but a continuum.

The students from the above-mentioned schools were highly excited about contributing their quota to the growth of the National Blood Bank, thus saving the lives of Ghanaians in dire need.