Ghana’s leading mobile network operator, MTN Ghana, has organised health screening exercises in three communities in the Central Region to help restock two major blood banks in the region.
The exercises were held at the Academy of Christ the King Senior High School in Cape Coast, Kwegyir Aggrey Senior High/Technical School in Anomabo and the Winneba Nursing Training College in Winneba.
Blood collected from the exercise will be used to replenish the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) and the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital blood banks as a demonstration of love as the world celebrates Valentine’s Day.
The “Save A Life” blood donation campaign is an annual critical health intervention by MTN Ghana in the period of Valentine’s to restock blood banks to mitigate mortalities resulting from the lack of blood in emergencies.
This year, the telecommunications giant is targeting at least 7,000 pints of blood nationwide to refill various blood banks.
At the three donation centres in the Central Region, the exercise witnessed heavy participation as scores of people, mostly students, willingly showed up to donate.
Madam Cynthia Mills, Economic Empowerment Advisor of the MTN Ghana Foundation, explaining the rationale behind the intervention for the past 15 years, observed a dire situation in the various blood banks, which continued to result in the loss of lives.
“The blood bank is always short of blood and has been calling for support to replenish it. So, it is our Corporate Social Responsibility to support the blood bank and supporting mother Ghana,” she indicated.
She reiterated MTN Ghana’s commitment to strengthening blood banks in Ghana and the health sector in general, entreating citizens to participate in all blood donation exercises to save lives.
“We are pleading with you to help us refill the blood banks. Do not wait for the annual programme. You can walk into any hospital on your own to donate to support the blood bank,” she stressed.
Mr Samuel Odua Quarmyne, a staff member of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital Blood Bank, indicated that they faced a precarious situation as available blood stock was only enough to handle a few emergency cases.
He explained that blood could only be stored for 35 days and therefore the facility, a major referral centre, needed constant refilling.
“So, occasions like this bring us joy because it brings people together to save lives, and that is why I implore all citizens to donate blood at least once a year,” he said.
He said donors could donate every four months and benefit from free screening.
Mr Quarmyne further dispelled the notion that blood was sold to patients at the hospital.
Instead, he said patients were made to pay a subsidised processing fee as every blood donated went through screening for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis and HIV.
He thanked MTN Ghana for their continuous support to the hospital over the past decade, including the construction of a building for the department where they currently worked.
