Blood is an important resource for both planned and emergency medical conditions. It is vital for treating patients who find themselves in emergency health situations such as accidents and child birth. Despite this urgent need for blood, records indicate the general scarcity of safe of blood in blood banks across Ghana. According to the National Blood Services, there is a national demand for about 280,000 units annually.
However less than 50 per cent is raised each year. It is against this background that MTN Ghana Foundation has over the years organized an annual blood donation campaign dubbed “Save a Life” to support efforts in restocking blood banks across the country and to help create awareness on the need for safe blood.
Established in November 2007 as the vehicle to select and implement MTN’s Corporate Social Investments, the MTN Ghana Foundation understands the critical role blood plays and has been at the forefront of blood donation for over a decade. MTN Ghana Foundation initiated the annual blood donation exercise dubbed “Save a Life” initiative in 2011 to help restock blood levels at the National blood bank.
Since the launch of the initiative, the MTN Ghana Foundation along with staff of MTN and their friends and partners have collected over 20,036 units of blood to save lives. This year’s blood donation exercise had a total of 24 donation/bleeding centers in all 16 regions of Ghana. The Foundation also commenced the construction of a GHS 300,000 blood bank for the maternity wing of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. The blood bank is expected to be completed by end of October 2020.
MTN Ghana Foundation has congratulated voluntary blood donors as the world commemorates World Blood Donor Day today, June 14, 2020. The commemoration is under the theme: “Safe blood saves lives”. The slogan for the day is “Give blood and make the world a healthier place”.
Commenting on this year’s World Blood Donor Day commemoration, the Corporate Services Executive of MTN Ghana, Samuel Koranteng said, “As we celebrate World Blood Donor Day, I would like to salute all individuals who have donated blood to save lives. We say special thanks to those who have participated in MTN’s Valentine Day’s “Save a Life” initiative. We commend them highly for the commitment to this cause and for their compassion for humanity”.
MTN Ghana Foundation also commends the work of the National Blood Service, the Ghana Blood Foundation, all Blood banks and all other supporting partners.
Mr Koranteng said “I also take the opportunity to appeal to all eligible blood donors to donate blood at regular intervals to save lives. In this era of Covid 19, voluntary blood donation is very critical as all planned blood donation campaigns have been disrupted.”
In recognition of its efforts, the MTN Ghana Foundation was adjudged the highest corporate blood donor in 2013, second highest corporate donor in 2014 and one of the highest corporate donors in 2015.
MTN Ghana Foundation has three areas of focus -Health, Education and Economic Empowerment. From inception to December 2018, the Foundation had undertaken 147 major projects across the country. Notable health projects include; construction of a Neonatal Care Center for Tamale Teaching Hospital, refurbishment of the 2nd floor maternity block of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, construction of a maternity block for Ejisu Government Hospital, and construction of an Emergency Center for Atua Government Hospital. Education projects undertaken include: construction of a boys dormitory for Akropong School for the Blind, construction of a six-unit classroom block for Kodjonya Millennium School, establishment of 10 MTN ICT Learning Centers in each of Ghana’s 10 regions (then) and the institution of an Innovation Hub at KNUST to promote Telecoms Engineering and Research. Key projects undertaken in Economic Empowerment include: the construction of shea butter processing centers, provision of seed capital and skill training for Women of Tizaa Dini Association of Yendi and the Sung Suma Women Association of Wa.
Source:A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|William Nlanjerbor JALULAH|Ghana
