The Upper East Regional blood bank is in dire need of blood to serve its growing population of patients. The unit serves patients within the region, parts of the Northern region as well as neighboring countries like Burkina Faso and Togo.
However, the virtually emptied two refrigerators meant for preserving blood have pressured health workers to sometimes move from house to house to beg people to voluntarily donate blood to save lives under emergency conditions.
In an exclusive interview with a bleeding nurse at the unit, Abugri Bright Osman, he was worried the situation could be worsened if nothing is done about the condition.
“Sometimes we have to run, go to people’s houses and beg them to come out to bleed. For instance, last week, I moved to about three houses to beg for a person to come and donate 0 negative to save a life.”
The bleeding nurse at the blood unit bemoaned public reluctance to replace blood being transfused to their relations which he regretted is a contributory factor to the critical situation at the unit.
The unpleasant situation at the regional hospital blood unit was made known during a voluntarily blood donation exercise organized by the Union of May Borns (UMABO), a welfare/socialization union comprising of people born in the month of May.
The Upper East Regional blood bank before the voluntary donation by UMABO had just about 10 units of blood which significantly could not serve the maternity ward left alone the entire patient population that needed blood.
The choice of donating blood to stock the blood bank according the president of UMABO, Vincent Asigri, was aimed at averting any misfortune as a result of the unavailability of blood to transfuse to patients in need.
The Union of May Borns, formed in 2011 has voluntarily supported the health service delivery in the region, sanitation issues and has engaged in socialization activities to forge unity among people in the Upper East region.
The blood donation formed part of a line-up of the union’s activities to celebrate members. Before the blood donation, the union had played a friendly football match against Upper East Media XI and organized a health walk in Bolgatanga town. Other activities yet to take place include an annual get-together christened as ‘Our Day’ for members on May 27 before climaxing the celebration with a presentation of toiletries and assorted baby items to babies born in May and would be on admission at the maternity ward of the Upper East Regional hospital on the 31st of May.
The union which has about 75 registered members according to its president was formed after of the region’s finest journalists, William Nlanjerbor Jalulah, also a May born and then host of A1 Radio’s flagship programme, Day Break Upper East, in 2011 observed that there were many people celebrating their birthdays in May. He then opened the phone lines each day on his programme for people to call in and tell him their dates of birth. As they did, he collated their personal details and later contacted them leading to the formation of the union.
“He [Mr. Jalulah] was in-charge of announcements and other programs at A1 Radio and when he finished with announcements he would start wishing those who were born in May. So after the programme, I decided to call him.Then he told me he is a May born. So he asked why can’t we come together and form something together and I saw the idea to be laudable and that was it.” Mr. Asigri recounted.
By: Joshua Asaah|a1radioonline.com|Ghana
