Blood is an important resource, both for planned treatments and urgent interventions. It can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and with a higher quality of life, and supports complex medical and surgical procedures.
Blood is also vital for treating the wounded during emergencies of all kinds (natural disasters, accidents, armed conflicts, etc.) and has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and prenatal care.
Every year, on June 14, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day (WBDD). The event is aimed at raising awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
Per our mission and what we do, Ghanahospitals.org sort to inquire more about the June 14 celebration and why this day is worth celebrated and this was what Madam Erinma Ukaegbu, a Lab technologist at the new Ashongman Community Hospital had to share with us:
"A lot of things are involved, they consider the age, the weight, whether you are on medication because your health status counts" she said when asked which people qualify to donate.
She added that, the donor need to go for counseling, where a form is filled to know their health status, she identified that when the donors hemoglobin (HB) is low, below the average they need, he or she is not qualified to donate.
She said "I always get personal satisfaction whenever i donate, and when I did it felt very good, even though some people believe it has to do with money, but for me the personal gratification you get from donating and knowing that your blood is going to save someone gives you some kind of feeling you cannot explain".
She adviced the general public to donate as today is word donor’s day “if you have not done it before please try and do it, because it is very important, it is good to save lives not just for your relatives alone but for anybody out there whose life might be saved by reason of the blood that you have given, and if you have been donating please go ahead and still donate it is very important”.
However ghanahospitals.org found out that a few people visit the facility to voluntarily donate at the new Ashongman Community Hospital.
Mawuena Workartey/Cecilia Kelly-Mensah /ghanahospitals.org
