Records at the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) have it that 29 people have perished through road crashes in the Upper East region between January and June this year while 82 persons got injured in 99 road accidents.
Many of these deaths occur as a result of the unavailability of sufficient pints of blood to transfuse victims immediately they are conveyed to hospitals. The Upper East regional hospital blood bank for instance serves as a referral point for persons in need of blood in the region and neighboring regions.
Persons in dire need of blood transfusion who report at the unit have no option at most times than to wait in pain while relatives undergo screening exercise in order to donate to save their lives.
The situation according to head of blood mobilization of the unit, Ajaratu Issah has contributed to the lost of many lives. As the rains sets in Madam Ajaratu added that malaria cases is another area that drains the blood bank as well as maternal cases. “At all times blood and blood products are supposed to be at the hospital waiting for emergencies not for emergencies to wait for blood.”
This was revealed during a blood donation exercise organized by the Upper East regional branch of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) held at Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School to restock the regional hospital blood bank.
Madam Ajaratu on the occasion bemoaned the spate of some people unwillingness to replace blood transfused on their relatives. “People come and use blood and they are not able to donate, some of them their families they do not have people who will be able to screen and then qualify to donate blood.”
The NHIA blood donation exercise is an annual activity by health insurance across senior high schools and some tertiary institutions in the region. The donation exercise which brought together the only girls SHS in the region to donate to replenish the blood unit is part of NHIA corporate social responsibility to the public.
Health insurance according to its Upper East regional director, Sebastian Alagpulinsa is a pro-poor program which targets the vulnerable in society. In that regard he said the donation exercise geared towards saving lives especially the poor in society.
Mr. Alagpulinsa seized the opportunity to assure the public of a vibrant health insurance delivery across board. “We are urging people to corporate and comply with us especially the health providers and our clients. Health insurance is vibrant and it is working, the only issue we have at hand is payment of our providers and we are sure very soon we will defray all our arrears.”
By: Joshua Asaah|A1radioonline.com|Ghana
