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| UE Territorial Sales Manager of MTN Ghana, Richard Asamane exchanging pleasantry with Ibrahim Sadique of Save a Life Foundation |
As a measure to fulfil it's corporate social responsibility and to make up for the deficit at facility, Save a Life Foundation, SLF, a health oriented NGO has resolved to partner MTN Ghana in organising voluntarily blood donation exercise twice each year.
The Director of the Foundation, Ibrahim Sadique who gave the assurance at the sidelines of a blood donation exercise in Bolgatanga said the national blood bank requires about 250 000 pints of blood yearly and this calls for concern.
He stressed that donating blood on regular basis comes with other health benefits and dispelled the common notion that giving out blood takes a longer period for one to recover.
Save a Life Foundation had since 2013 partnered MTN Ghana Foundation in organizing voluntarily blood donation exercises to help stock the blood bank at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital.
The event is being held each year on St. Valentine's Day to give a new dimension to the celebration of the day, which has been misunderstood by majority of the youth to mean a special day for sex and other immoral activities.
On the contrary, the rationale behind the exercise was to whip up public interest on the urgent need for them to regularly donate blood as a way of showing brotherly love and compassion for persons that are in dire need of it to survive.
In an interaction with Radio Ghana, the Director, Save a Life Foundation, Ibrahim Sadique was pleased to announced that in spite of the constraints with respect to funds and logistical support, the expected outcome of the exercise since 2011 has been quite appreciable.
He said plans were afoot to organize it twice a year to meet the growing demand of blood required at the various health facilities.
The success story of MTN Ghana Foundation was not different. It has been established that the foundation in the last six years collected over 3,715 pints of blood to support the national and regional blood transfusion services.
Having realized the depth of the perennial blood shortage at the hospitals and clinics, the foundation says it was committed to creating a sustainable blood supply to help save lives.
The Regional Territorial Sales Manager of MTN Ghana, Mr. Richard Asamane said his office was glad to be part of the annual exercise because there are plans to raise 2,017 pints of blood to save pregnant women and children as well those that are in need.
According to him, the exercise took place simultaneously in all the ten regions of the country, adding based on the extension of the exercise MTN Ghana Foundation now has 12 bleeding centers which also symbolize a decade of the foundation's existence in Ghana.
For MTN Ghana, the exercise is serving as a prelude for the celebration of the foundation's 10th anniversary.
While acknowledging MTN staff volunteers and the media for the invaluable support over the years, Mr Asamane entreated Ghanaians under 18 to cultivate the habit of donating blood any time they are called upon.
The exercise which began at 8am and ended at 6pm received high patronage with majority of donors being students from the Zamse Senior High and Technical school in Bolgatanga.
Successful donors were given certificates and other incentives to appreciate their contribution to the restocking of regional blood bank.
Some of the students spoke about their experience during the exercise and why it was necessary for people to donate blood at any given time.
The Head Of Blood Mobilisation at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, Ajara Issah was also grateful to save a life foundation and MTN Ghana for the support and urged other corporate bodies and institutions to emulate same.
GBC
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