The National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), in collaboration with the National Service Secretariat, over the weekend showed a sense of patriotism and willingness to serve the good people of Ghana by donating blood to alleviate blood shortage in the National Blood Bank.
The blood donation, which took place in three regions, namely Greater Accra, Ashanti and the Northern, brought together 2012/13 service personnel to give blood.
The programme, which was held at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra, was also well attended by officials of the NSS – the Executive Director, regional, metropolitan, municipal and district coordinators.
According to the Executive Director, Mr. Vincent Senam Kuagbenu, the basic aim of the Secretariat was to bring the graduates together to serve the country.
He said the blood donation programme was on a pilot basis in the three regions, and would be sustained in the following years, as part of service to the state.
He congratulated the NASPA for the initiative, and appealed to other youth bodies to emulate the example, adding, ‘While other youth groups are planning to hit the streets with demonstrations, you are here donating blood to save souls. What you have done is highly commendable, because service to the nation is service to humanity.’
The Deputy Chief Blood Recruitment Officer, Mr. Samuel Nunoo, stated that the country needs 250,000 units of blood to save lives every year, but the blood bank is unable to meet the target, because people are not willing to give, and some of them are ignorant about the process.
He noted that some people were only willing to donate when their relative was in a critical condition, and sometimes their blood does not even match.
He added that even though blood has a very short lifespan of 35 days, it was in high demand, and does not reach its lifespan.
Mr. Nunoo, therefore, encouraged individuals between the ages of 18 to 60 to donate a maximum of every for four months to the bank.
http://thechronicle.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-Greater-Accra-Regional-coordinator-Nana-Daasempa-Asanti-II-showing-leadership-by-example.-Pix-by-Eric-Owiredu.jpg
http://thechronicle.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/nurses-at-post-busily-registering-parsonnel-to-part-take-in-the-donation-excersice.-Pix-by-Eric-Owiredu.jpg