The Wa Municipal Hospital in the Upper West Region is in dire need of blood. The facility does between three hundred to four hundred blood transfusions a month.
The only way the hospital is able to keep up with the many blood transfusions is through ‘blood replacement’ which has been described as a ‘very unhealthy situation’.
The Laboratory Manager at the Wa Municipal Hospital, Theresa Salifu, said COVID-19 has made it even more difficult for the her outfit to undertake mobile blood donation exercises to restock the blood bank at the Hospital.
The Wa Municipal Hospital serves as the biggest health facility for persons in and around Wa. The hospital is expected to have a minimum of 40 units of blood in its blood bank at all times and yet the facility currently has less than 20 units of blood.
According to Madam Salifu, the situation poses significant health risks persons who patronize the facility particularly pregnant women and children.
“Because of the COVID-19 we are not able to do a lot of mobile sessions; that is voluntary donations. We rely so much on the patient’s family to replace. Such an exercise is going to furnish our blood bank with a lot of blood which will save a lot of lives,” She said.
Madam Salifu said, “we do not have even up to 20 units [of blood in our bank]. As a Municipal Hospital, we need about 40 to 60 units of blood.”
To help restock the blood bank at the Wa Municipal Hospital, Humanity First, a non-governmental organisation with representation in 53 countries conducted a blood donation exercise at Wa.
The exercise formed part of the organisation’s silver jubilee celebration. 210 units of blood were collected from the two day exercise.
The Upper West Regional Representative of Humanity First, Mohammed Nasir Bin Salih said the units of blood collected will help save the lives of the vulnerable stressing that “one of the aims of the organisation is to maintain the dignity of human life. We think that one of the problems that is around this area is that people usually have problems with blood when they are ill. We as a charitable organisation, we decided to help the blood bank to have a lot of blood”.
“We are expecting that the blood will be given the vulnerable; people who just cannot afford it,” he said.
Mr Bin Salih said as on organisation, their objectives transcend religious, national or ethic segmentations. He added that Humanity First will continue to undertake social activities for the good of society.
A donor, Osman Sabri Froko who spoke to the GBC said as a religious person, donating blood is a call to service.
He added that the Qu’ran dictates that Muslims do their best to help those in need thus donating blood to restock the Wa Municipal Hospital Blood Bank is in line with his faith.
Story filed by Mark Smith.
