Sunyani-Ghana, June 15, GNA – Mr George Osei, a Biomedical Laboratory Scientist and Head, Laboratory Department of the Sunyani Regional Hospital, has stated citizens had the responsibility to collectively and constantly donate blood to save human lives in the country.
He explained issues regarding blood were a matter of life and death, so citizens should voluntarily donate blood to save lives.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani as part of the commemoration of International World Blood Donor Day, he said blood donation should be a civic responsibility because it was priceless.
The 2023 celebration was on the theme: “Give Blood, Give Plasma, Share Life, Share Often,” focusing on patients, requiring life-long transfusion support and underlined the role every person could play by giving the valuable gift of blood or plasma.
He said technically a blood bank was required to be stocked every 35 days, saying if afterwards the blood had not been used, it must be disposed of for fresh blood to be stocked.
Mr Osei said people, who had gone through accident cases and pregnant women in labour, needed blood transfusion would testify it was difficult and disturbing, saying blood banks with enough stock could help save lives at any time.
He thus thanked the public for the continuous support of donating blood to save lives and further encouraged more voluntary donors to assist in stocking up the blood bank.
Mr DaCosta Kwabena Gyasi, Head of the Blood Bank, in a related interview said the Hospital used about 280 units of blood every four weeks.
He said currently, the facility had run out of stock with only 25 units of blood available, describing the situation as worrying, though the Hospital’s Management had instituted measures to ensure stock availability to prevent any eventualities.
