The Upper East Regional Area Sales Controller of telecommunication giants, MTN Ghana, Martin Yaw Kumoba, has described blood donation as the best way of showing love to society.
According to him, there is always an urgent need for blood at the Regional Hospital, which mostly runs out of blood to handle cases, including emergencies.
The dire need for blood at various blood banks of major facilities across the country prompted MTN to institute the annual blood donation exercise, which coincides with the Valentine’s Day celebration, a day set aside to show love and compassion.
For the past 14 years, MTN Has committed to organizing the blood donation exercise, which allows staff of the company to donate blood.
The exercise is often organized in collaboration with some senior high schools and this year, the donation exercise was extended to Zamse Senior High Technical School (ZAMSETECH) and Bolgatanga Senior High School (BIG BOSS).
According to Mr. Kumoba, his outfit hoped to raise 350 pints of blood for the Regional Hospital’s blood bank.
He noted that health is one of the key pillars of the MTN Foundation, adding the telecommunications company takes the health of its clients seriously hence the continuous organization of the blood donation exercise. He expressed gratitude to corporate institutions, clubs, and the public for the years of participation.
“Health is one of the key pillars of the MTN Foundation and so we take the health of our customers seriously. Every day in our hospitals, there is a cry from the blood bank that people need to donate blood for accident victims, surgeries, and others so we started this in 2011. In Upper East, our target is 350 and why we chose Valentine’s Day is that the best gift is to share your blood to save lives.” He said.
Mr. Kwame Gamor a Principal Laboratory Assistant at the Upper East Regional Hospital described the exercise as crucial in dealing with emergencies. He said the hospital’s blood bank averagely gives out 15 pints of blood daily hence the need for the organization of blood donation regularly.
“Sometimes when the patients come and they need blood, mostly we run short, especially for the maternity and surgery so we need some of these exercises to deal with emergencies before we think about replacements, and for now we are averaging 15 pints per day so this exercise is crucial.” He stated.
