We don't sell blood - blood bank assures
The National Blood Bank has reiterated calls on the public not to grow weary of donating blood, insisting that reports that blood donated by benevolent individuals are sold to patients were untrue.
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According to the Deputy Chief Blood Donor Organiser of the National Blood Bank, Mr Gambo Idris Waagabi, due to the erroneous misconceptions created by some individuals that donated blood are sold, some people are reluctant to donate blood.
Mr Waagabi expressed the concern when Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) in partnership with the Kaneshie District Young Adults Fellowship (YAF) of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana organised a blood donation exercise at Oduman in the Ga West Municipality of Greater Accra on Saturday.
He said patients, including donors are only made to pay a processing fee for the blood and that "nobody sells blood at the National Blood Bank."
Mr Waagabi said, some people have misconstrued the processing fee as a price value for the blood.
He said even with the processing fee, when a donor donates more than three times and have certificates to show for that, they are exempted from paying the processing fee.
He has, therefore, encouraged the public to take blood donation exercise serious since it could save thousands of lives at the various health facilities in the country.
The YAF and GCGL blood donation exercise was targeted at collecting 100 pints of blood.
On her part, a Senior Corporate Communications Officer at GCGL, Ms Kyerewaa Boateng said the blood donation exercise was one of the company's major social responsibilities to the country.
She said every year, the company organises blood donation exercises, adding that this year, for instance, the company has already organised one in collaboration with the Adabraka YAF.
She said the company will organise the third one on its premises before the close of the year, hence calling on the public to make time for the exercise when the time is due.
YAF
The Chairman of the Kaneshie YAF 10th anniversary planning committee, Mr Samuel Nkrumah Asamoah, in an interview, said YAF organised the exercise as part of its activities to help save lives.
According to him, the Bible encourages people to do good to save lives and that the blood donation exercise was one of the ways the church could use to save lives.