MTN Ghana has reaffirmed its belief that there is no better way to show love on Valentine’s Day than by donating blood to save lives. Speaking during a blood donation exercise in the Upper East Region, Martin Yaw Kumobah, the Regional Team Lead of MTN Ghana, emphasized that the initiative is part of MTN’s commitment to supporting healthcare and saving lives.
“We believe that Valentine’s Day is a period to show love to mankind and for me, the best gift anybody can show somebody is to share your blood to save a life. And that is the most significant gift you can receive on the day we show and that’s why we’ve chosen Valentine’s Day to do this,” he stated.
Since 2011, MTN Ghana has undertaken its nationwide blood donation exercise every February 14, to mark Valentine’s Day, a day recognized globally as one of love and compassion. This year’s exercise in the Upper East Region was held at Zamse Senior High School, Bolgatanga Senior High School, and Bolgatanga Technical Institute, with a target to collect 350 pints of blood to restock the Upper East Regional Blood Bank. Mr. Kumobah explained that the blood donation exercise is part of MTN Foundation’s key pillars, which focus on prioritizing the health and well-being of customers.
Kingsley Gamor, Principal Laboratory Assistant at the Blood Unit said the facility requires approximately 14 pints of blood daily to meet the demands of patients in critical need. According to Mr. Gamor, while the current demand is significant, the need for blood increases drastically during peak seasons, particularly in the rainy season when malaria and other illnesses surge.
He commended MTN Ghana for its life-saving initiative and urged other corporate organizations to follow suit.
“Sometimes when patients come and need blood especially, those at maternity and surgeries, we run out of blood and it is difficult to get replacement most times when we give it out. So, this exercise is crucial, especially when there are emergencies, we will be able to help out before we think out for replacement.”
“It is not easy to organize this, a lot of funds have gone into it because I have learned it is a nationwide exercise. May God bless MTN’s effort and I urged other corporate bodies to join in to save lives,” he said
Many students participated in the donation exercise, including Iddrisu Sumayyah, a student at Zamse SHS, who expressed her motivation to help patients in critical need of blood. She also dismissed misconceptions about blood donation, emphasizing that the needle pinch is minimal and there is no pain after donating.
The voluntary donors were provided with food, milk, milo and malt drink, and mineral water.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga
