Tema-Ghana, July 20, GNA – Blood donation should be considered a civic responsibility for every healthy person, Ms. Doris Kusima Baiden, Medical Laboratory Scientist in Charge of the Blood Bank at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) in Tema, has advised Ghanaians.
“It must be your civic duty to donate blood, for the blood you donate today may save your life tomorrow or that of a family member or any other person who may need that blood transfusion to survive.
“I call on all healthy individuals to donate blood to save lives, as it is a necessity for human survival when given the opportunity. If you are capable of donating, do that immediately,” Ms. Baiden stated when addressing issues related to blood donation at the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility!
Ms. Baiden, supported by Mr. Robert Tetteh Djimajor, also a IMaH Medical Laboratory Scientist, stated that individuals should gather courage and donate blood when opportunities are given, as it helps the individual know his or her health status before donation.
She, however, stated that one should be truthful in answering any questionnaires before the process of blood donation begins to prevent any complications from occurring, as they are donating to save lives.
The IMaH Medical Laboratory Scientist stated that blood is life; thus, it helps save patients during labour, surgeries, accidents, and anaemia, among others, which, when transfused through the patients, would help save their lives.
Ms. Baiden further explained that blood has a short life span of five weeks, even though when donated, it helps save at least five patients in an emergency.
She said blood, when donated, helped prepare different components of blood, which included concentrated red cells, fresh frozen plasma, which has components in stopping blood, and others from whole blood donated by an individual.
“Blood donation should be done at least three times a year,” she advised.
Ms. Baiden, moreover, explained that the blood donation process is not scary and therefore urged others to walk to any health facility to donate blood because it gives one the opportunity to go through some testing to verify the person’s health as a voluntary donor.
She urged individuals to disregard any myths associated with blood donation, such as using one’s blood for rituals or relying on your body size before donation, among others, and rather take a bold step to go through all the necessary requirements.
