Sunyani Teaching Hospital refutes allegation of blood sale to clients  

Mr Enoch Owusu, the Head of the Blood Bank Unit of the Sunyani Teaching Hospital to (STH) says it is untrue that the facility sells pints of blood to clients. 
 
He expressed worry that such misinformation was impeding the facility’s voluntary blood exercise where donors walked to the hospital and donated their blood free of charge. 
 
Mr Owusu appealed for media support towards dispelling that misinformation, saying that the hospital required more blood from the bank to support clients, especially accident victims. 
 
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of blood donation exercises to mark the Valentine’s Day celebration, Mr Owusu said: “We can’t prepare, neither can we sell blood.” 
 
The STH in collaboration with the Berekum Holy Family Catholic Hospital with support from the MTN Ghana, a leading telecommunication company organised the separate blood donation exercises at the premises of the Berekum Senior High School (SHS) and the All for Christ SHS in the Bono Region. 
 
MTN Ghana provided essential items and meals to the students who voluntarily donated their blood during the exercise that sought for storage at the STH. 
 
Mr Owusu said as the major referral facility in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Region, the responsibility lies on everybody in ensuring that the facility had enough blood pint to cater for the needs of clients. 
 
He appealed to people above 17 years, and without any health or underlying conditions to visit the facility and donate their blood to keep the bank running and to save precious lives. 
 
Mr Kofi Owusu, the Bono Regional Manager of the MTN Ghana, told the GNA that the assistance aligned with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility to give back to society. 
 
He said each year the company partnered with the health facilities and help raise and restock the blood banks of public facilities, nationwide, saying that nationally the company in the region targeted to raise between 400 and 450 pints this year. 
 
Miss Florence Fosuaa, one of the donors and a form three student at BESS, said she was inspired to donate her blood after she witnessed the demise of a client who needed blood to survive at a health facility.