The commitment of MTN Ghana Foundation towards organizing blood donation exercises to support health facilities in the country has been appreciated by the National Blood Bank by being adjudged the best blood donor institution in the country last year.

The telecommunication giant, over the years, had supported the National Blood Bank and other health facilities across the country with over 1000 pints of blood.

Last year alone, it collected 625 pints of blood thus, exceeding that year’s target by 125 pints.

Mr. David Gyimah-Boadu, a Senior Manager of MTN, in charge of Western and Central regions, made the disclosure at this year’s Valentine’s Day Blood Donation exercise in Takoradi, on Friday.

He said it intends to collect 700 pints of blood this year from donation centres in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Shama and Tamale.

MTN is organizing this year’s event in collaboration with Ecobank-Ghana which is dubbed: “Save a Life Campaign”.

He said the blood that would be collected throughout the country would be distributed to the National Blood Bank at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Effia-Nkwanta Regional and Tamale Teaching hospitals respectively.

According to the National Blood Service, only 35 percent of blood needed for health care is received through voluntary blood donors therefore the remaining 65 percent is supposed to be collected through corporate support and well-meaning Ghanaians.

Mr Gyimah-Boadu said the campaign would also contribute towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals four and five, aimed at reducing child and maternal mortality by the close of this year.

He said: “The blood of a mother cannot save her child but your blood can save a life” and therefore appealed to all well-meaning Ghanaians in good health to donate blood towards this effort.

In a speech read on her behalf, Reverend Mrs Patricia Sappor, the Corporate Affairs and Public Relations Manager of Ecobank-Ghana, entreated Ghanaians to show their love through this year’s Valentine by donating blood to save precious lives.

She said donating blood had many positive health implications such as reducing weights and risk of contracting cancer.

Mr Francis Blay-Cudjoe, Deputy Regional Blood Recruiter at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, advised persons who had taken alcohol and under medication as well as pregnant women and nursing mothers to stay away from donating blood.