A Biomedical Scientist, at the Regional Hospital in Wa, Madam Thea Kangkpi has implored Ghanaians to make blood donation a priority to help save lives of their fellow citizens.

She made the appeal during a blood donation exercise organized in Wa by Akukuduro Herbal Centre in conjunction with the Regional Hospital.

Madam Kangkpi told the GBC’s Emmanuel Mensah-Abludo and Seidu Ibrahim Bomanjo that the demand for blood at the Regional Hospital is more than what they have in stock and that the partnership with Akukuduro Herbal Centre for the facility to be supported was timely as well as heart-warming.

She underscored the importance of blood in the health delivery chain, saying “it is not a commodity you buy on the market, when someone is sick unless a human being comes to donate blood for the person, so we want people to willingly come to donate blood to help save the lives of people who need blood in times of emergency”.

Explaining the process for giving blood to patients, Madam Kangkpi indicated that normally a Doctor makes the request for blood after examining a patient in the ward.

She continued that when the request comes to the laboratory and if blood is available at the blood bank, a cross-matching is done and if it is compatible, we give it to the ward for the patient.

Thereafter, the patient’s relatives are informed if they can get people to come and replace what has been given so that the blood will continue to be available for others to use.

Madam Kaangkpi asked people to do away with the perception that blood is sold at health facilities.

The Biomedical Scientist also dropped a hint that the Regional Hospital in Wa is coming out with a proposal to make blood available at all times, so that when even you come and cannot replace the blood, a token amount will be paid to the Hospital to help mobilize people to get blood again.

A Consultant at Akukuduro Herbal Centre, Philip Nuobebe pointed out that the blood donation exercise carried out together with the Regional hospital was in line with the Centre’s mission of helping people to improve their health and well-being.

Mr. Nuobebe said as part of the screening for the blood donation, those who have problems that are within the capacity of the Centre, will be given the needed free medical attention in respect of their condition.

The Accountant of Akukuduro Herbal Centre, Richard Badeaduguu announced that it is part of the Centre’s plan to organize blood donation exercise at least once a year as its social responsibility.

One of the people who responded to the call by Akukuduro Herbal Centre to donate blood, Donatus Siesuur told the GBC that his positive response to the exercise was as result of an emergency situation his aunt encountered when she was at a hospital as an expectant mother sometime ago.

According to Donatus, his aunt was in labour and had difficulty in getting blood and the mantel fell on him to donate blood to save his aunt who was delivered of a baby girl.

Mr. Siesuur intimated that the joy he derived from saving his aunt has been a motivation for him to donate blood at any given opportunity, saying he had donated blood a couple of times after his aunt’s incident.

A Public Relations Officer of Akukuduro Herbal Centre, Akiil Iddrisu said he was severely injured during an armed robbery attack and that he would have died if he had not received a timely blood donation from a good Samaritan.