Save a Life Foundation facilitates blood donation exercise


Save a Life Foundation, a charitable NGO based in the Upper East Region has ensured the provision of more than 200 units of blood to the blood bank of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital to address the periodic shortage of blood at the hospital blood. 

This was made possible through a voluntary blood donation exercise held at the St John’s Park to usher in St Valentine’s Day and to dispel the common erroneous perception that valentine was a period for love ones to engage in sexual promiscuity. 

Speaking to Radio Ghana, the Executive Director of Save a Life Foundation, Ibrahim Alhassan Siddique said the idea behind the event was to augment blood supply to save lives and to revive the spirit of volunteerism among Ghanaians, particularly the youth. 

Mr. Isaac Asare of Radio Ghana report that scores of people including students, youth groups and kit fit clubs converged on the St John’s park in Bolgatanga to donate to support the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital for onward distribution to various health facilities across the region. 

Supported by MTN Ghana, the exercise was used to launch a campaign on the need for individuals to donate blood regularly as part of their service to humanity.
 
However, corporate Ghana was also urged to support blood donation programs and make it part of their corporate social responsibility by mobilizing people to donate blood for a worthy cause.
  
Ibrahim Alhassan Siddique, is the Executive Director of Save a Life Foundation, the brain behind the exercise. 

He told Radio Ghana that category of patients at the various health facilities of the country are in dire need of blood transfusion. 

The blood, he noted is often required during surgery while others also depend on it after an accident or because they have special conditions that requires blood components. 

This he further noted explains the rationale for the exercise with the broader view of increasing the blood stock to benefit those in need. 

He said though the NGO operates in other thematic areas, the blood donation exercise has become part and parcel of its yearly activities and will be pursued to the latter.

The Regional Territory Sales Controller of MTN, Richard Asamani, said his outfit was happy to be part of the exercise considering the level of patronage and appealed to individuals to visit nearby health facilities at any point in time to donate blood and not wait till such programs are organised. 

He said since 2011, MTN has carried out similar exercises in some selected regions, stressing that with the coming on board of the Upper East Region, MTN will continue to commit and galvanise the needed resources to save a life.  

The blood bank supervisor at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, Ramzy  Anarfo also expressed gratitude to Save a Life Foundation for its sense of humanity.
 
According to him, the exercise was timely since the blood bank at the regional hospital was in short supply of blood. 

Mr. Anarfo lauded the initiative and urged other organizations to support the Blood Service in various ways necessary.

Participants in this year’s voluntary blood donation exercise were fete and thrilled with music and dance performances.


GBC