The MTN Ghana Foundation has cut the sod for construction work to commence on a Blood bank facility for the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH).

The 300,000 cedis project expected to be completed within four months, would have a reception area, office for registration and interview, bleeding room, laboratory, and fridge room for blood storage, a storeroom and a washroom.

Speaking at the sod-cutting, Mr Samuel Koranteng expressed the hope that the availability of a blood bank facility would help provide enough blood for emergency cases and also reduce maternal mortality due to obstetric haemorrhage.

He indicated that investing in sustainable projects consolidated the vision of the company to brighten the lives of its customers in the communities in which it operated.

He mentioned that the MTN Ghana Foundation through its numerous projects had made a significant contribution to the delivery of health care across the country.

Mr Koranteng implored the hospital to provide the needed assistance to the contractor to ensure that the project was completed as scheduled.

Mr Eric Ngyedu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CCTH said the hospital required appropriately 8,000 units of blood annually to be able to satisfy its internal and periphery needs.

The CCTH, he noted had the responsibility as a major teaching hospital to spearhead the agenda of getting the required blood needed to save lives.

The hospital would embark on an intensive blood donation exercise to stock the facility when completed. He expressed gratitude to the MTN Foundation for the support a worthy cause.

The CEO stressed that the re-development of the hospital for quality of care also included re-development of the blood bank.

In a related development, the MTN Foundation in collaboration with the CCTH organized a blood donation exercise as part of activities to mark this year’s Valentine Day celebration in Cape Coast.

The exercise, an annual initiative under MTN’s Save a Life Campaign is aimed at stocking the national blood bank.

Three hundred and sixty (366) units of blood were realised at the end of the blood donation exercise at the CCTH and Adisadel College.