The Eastern Regional Hospital, Koforidua (ERHK) continues to battle a shortage of blood affecting quality healthcare delivery.
The hospital started experiencing acute blood shortages at the blood bank in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
The situation has not seen any significant improvement to date forcing the staff of the hospital including Medical Director Dr. Arko Akoto Ampaw to continuously donate blood to save the lives of patients particularly pregnant women in labor and accident victims.
As part of measures taken by the Management of the Hospital to ensure blood availability at the blood bank, staff at the Obstetrics and Gynecology department will take their turn on Thursday, 7th April 2022 at 9:00am to donate blood.
The hospital is inviting the general public to join the staff and donate blood to save lives.
The Eastern Regional blood organizer of the National Blood Service Philomina Quayson says, donating blood regularly lowers the risk of cancers, therefore, encouraging Ghanaians to donate.
She explained that by donating blood the iron stores in the body are maintained at a healthy level which helps reduces the chances of the donor from all forms of cancers
Ghana has failed to achieve 100 percent voluntary blood donation status as required by the World Health Organization (WHO) albeit increasing demand for blood transfusion.
Statistics from the WHO indicate that only 62 countries globally have almost achieved 100 percent of their national blood supplies from voluntary unpaid blood donations, with thirty-four others including Ghana still dependent on family replacement blood donors.
The government of Ghana’s delay in passing the National Blood Service Bill, which seeks to provide the requisite legal framework to accelerate progress towards 100 percent voluntary blood donation, is compounding the situation in the country.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
