Hope FM 107.1mhz is a private radio station situated at Ezilinbo in the Jomoro District of the Western Region. The station as part of its core duties to save lives especially the welfare of children in the various communities and people in the society held a blood donation exercise in the District.

The intent of the exercise was to succor stock of blood bank for Half Assini Government Hospital's Children and Maternity wards, respectively so as to save the lives of the patients.

The exercise was under the theme, "Donate Blood and Save Lives".

Miss Obaapa Grace, the Coordinator of the exercise who is also a staff of Hope FM stated that "blood cannot be manufactured in any laboratory or a factory, this means that without a sufficient number of men and women willingly and selflessly donating blood so that others might live, our District and Ghana as a whole will grapple with the reality of unnecessary deaths."Blood connects us all because no one knows whose life their blood will save. It could be anyone! Let us join hands to help ourselves ", she added.

Miss Grace, congratulated the residents in Jomoro District for their generosity and commitment to make blood available to save lives.

"This is our first time we have organized such exercise and we will extend it to Ellembelle District and Nzema East Municipal since our coverage reaches there, it is not going to be a nine-day wonder", she assured.

The Medical Superintendent of Half Assini Government Hospital, Dr. Jonathan Mensah thanked Hope FM for organising the blood donation exercise to improve the Hospital's Blood Bank to save lives.

Dr. Mensah, said,blood donation mostly help children below the ages of five years who are affected by malaria, pregnant women and patients whose under go operation.
He added that the hospital gives out 80 pints of blood to patients per month.

He also added that the hospital's Blood Bank could store 500 pints of blood.

He explained that if the hospital's Blood Bank becomes full, they give some to other hospitals as 'rent' so that lives could be save.

"If the hospital is in need of blood, we contact other hospitals for some and return the blood if the hospital gets more, on record since the hospital started operation, no patient has die because of blood shortage", he added.

CHALLENGES

Dr. Jonathan Mensah said, people fear to donate blood because of some cultural believes.

Dr. Mensah assured the people that blood donation is not difficult task and urged them to donate blood to save lives.

He added that sometimes if the hospital short blood in the bank, they have to pay Gh¢60 a blood donor.

According to Dr. Jonathan Mensah, the Half Assini Government was established at Ekpu as a health centre in the year 1974.

He added,currently the hospital's Out-Patient Department (O.P.D) contains 180 to 200 patients daily.

Speaking to the media after the exercise, the hospital's Laboratory Technician, Mr. Stephen Yamoah revealed that the number of the blood donors were encouraging and commended Hope FM for the exercise and urged the radio station to continue to organize such exercise on time to help save lives.

Mr. Stephen Yamoah commended Half Assini Senior High School (HASCO) and Annor Adjaye Senior High School for donating blood to the hospital's Blood Bank anytime the hospital call on them.

He pleaded with the people in the District to visit the hospital on daily bases to donate blood to save lives.

Speaking on behalf of the Member of Parliament for Jomoro Constituency who doubles as a Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr. Blay Arizie, commended Hope FM for organizing such an important exercise to save lives.

He also applauded the blood donors for their generosity and kind gesture by donating blood to the hospital's Blood Bank to save lives.

He called on all healthy citizens to support blood donation initiatives because many lives are lost whenever there is a shortage.

Mr. Blay Arizie on behalf of the Jomoro MP, Hon Paul Essien, presented Gh¢.1,000 plus assorted drink items to Hope FM to help and encourage donors to donate blood for the Half Assini Government Hospital.

Mr. Arizie assured the radio station that Hon Paul Essien is ever ready to support any activities the station will embark upon that would help the District to develop.

Some of the assorted drinks includes, cartons of milk, boxes of canned drinks, and some boxes of Voltic Mineral Water.

Nana Alex, a donor, in an interaction with the media said, that this was his first time of donating.

"I am willing and ready to donate more blood because I see it as a form of saving lives, he added.

Speaking to the media after the exercise, the morning show host of Hope FM, Gideon Nyhiraba, expressed his profound appreciation to their sponsors such as the Member of Parliament of the area, Hon Paul Essien, the opposition National Democratic Congress party's chairman of the area, Mr Gideon Koniba, the ruling New Patriotic Patriotic (NPP) Western Regional Acting Chairman, Mr. Francis Ndede Siah, a businessman, Mr Dan Borsor, among others for the contributions they made towards the success of the exercise.

He appealed to other institutions and individuals to support the station to be able to execute the activities of the future blood donation exercise.

At the end of exercise, each blood donor, was given assorted drinks such as Milo, Milk, Malt, Voltic Mineral Water, among others.

A certificate of blood donation was given to each blood donor.