The Eastern Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) hosted a blood donation event at ManyaKrobo Senior High School (SHS) in the Lower ManyaKrobo municipality.
The one-day initiative aimed to encourage students to participate in blood donation, contributing to the replenishment of the blood bank.
This initiative is part of the FDA's corporate responsibility to organize blood donation drives that save lives.
Ms. Anita Owusu Kuffuor, Eastern Regional Head of the FDA, highlighted the significance of expanding its reach beyond the regional capital, Koforidua.
She emphasized that their commitment extends to the entire Eastern region and stressed that these blood donation events would be ongoing to bolster the blood bank.
She appealed to the public to actively participate in these exercises, as they serve the noble purpose of saving lives.
However, the event faced restrictions, with only 164 students eligible for blood donation due to age and blood level limitations, despite the team's target of 300 students.
The Eastern Regional Blood Donor Organiser at the Regional Hospital, Ms. Philomina Quayson, explained that some students eager to donate blood fell below the required age of 17, with some as young as 13 or 14 years old.
She emphasized the importance of working together with various cooperatives, including banks, churches, and other groups, to organize blood donation exercises and help prevent the loss of lives, particularly among expectant mothers, newborns, and accident victims due to blood shortages.
She called on the public and various organizations to visit government hospitals or healthcare centers to participate in blood donation, as it is a civic responsibility and a crucial means of saving lives.
Students who participated expressed their newfound awareness of the significance of blood donation, not only as a civic duty but also as a way to ensure a steady supply of blood for medical emergencies.
- Reporting by Kamal Ahmed : Editing by Adewale Adejoke