Govt to establish three blood service centres
The Minister of Health, Ms Sherry Ayittey, has announced that the government is to establish three national blood service centres in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.
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The establishment of the centres, she said, would ensure the successful implementation of a coordinated blood service that would replace the current unregulated blood transfusion.
Ms Ayitey said that at the celebration of the 13th National Blood Donor Day and the launch of the 2014 Blood Donation Campaign in Accra.
She said Ghana required 250,000 units of blood every year in order to make blood readily available to all patients.
That, she said, could be achieved if each and every healthy adult donated blood twice every year.
She also noted that there was the need for intense public education for the country to attain a 100 per cent voluntary non-remunerated blood donation.
She indicated that the victims of the inadequate supply of blood were mothers and children, especially during childbirth and in cases of malnutrition, anaemia and severe malaria.
Ms Ayittey further asserted that maternal mortality could be reduced through the availability of blood for female-related ailments.
Blood donation in Ghana
The Director of the National Blood Service, Dr Justina Ansah, said voluntary blood donation in Ghana was below 40 per cent and that had caused heavy dependence on blood donation by families.
He noted that the low voluntary blood donation in Ghana affected quality health care in the country.
She stated that voluntary blood donors were the safest sources of blood, compared to the other types of donors who posed a higher risk of transmitting diseases through blood transfusion.
Consistent blood donors were presented with awards sponsored by the Rotary Club, Accra.
