Korle Bu hit by blood shortage, December 18, 2012 Spread
Shortage of blood at the Korle-Bu Blood Centre has compelled the management of the blood bank to roll out an emergency programme to get more blood for patients in and outside the hospital.
Under the programme, the hospital is appealing to churches, organisations, schools, companies and individuals to donate blood to the centre, which is struggling to cope with the daily blood requirement.
Currently, the bank needs an average of 100 units (pints) of blood daily to satisfy the needs of patients of the hospital and those of major private healthcare facilities, including the Nyaho Clinic and the Trust Hospital.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Deputy Donor Recruiter of the centre, Mr Samuel Nunoo, said so far, a number of churches had responded to the appeal.
The situation, he said, had improved slightly but was quick to add, “We need more people to come and donate blood.”
The blood shortage was reported in the media last week, with fears that the centre could close down if the situation did not improve.
As of last Friday, the centre had only 28 pints screened for immediate use and 54 pints awaiting screening, but as of yesterday 268 units were waiting for processing.
Mr Nunoo said the bank’s blood stock had improved because during the weekend the centre did some outreaches.
In response, the Odokor SDA Church gave 54 units; the Head Office of the International Central Gospel Church donated 100; the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church at Mataheko responded with 17 units, with another church at Pokuase giving nine units.
Additionally, 12 people reported voluntarily to donate blood, an improvement on a situation which used to be an average of five volunteers a day in the past.
He said as a way of encouraging young people to donate blood, the centre had begun the formation of blood donation clubs in the various senior high schools (SHSs).
Already, 15 of such clubs are in existence in the Greater Accra Region.
Known as Pledge 25, SHS students are being orientated to start donating by age 17, so that by the time they reach 25, they would have donated about 25 times if they consistently donate every four months.
Ghana needs 250,000 units of blood annually to satisfy its blood transfusion needs, but the annual average currently is 130,000, leaving a shortfall of 120,000 units.
“If we are able to get this, anybody going to the hospital needing blood will get it without the hospital asking for replacement,” Mr Nunoo said.
“The ideal thing is that we want to get to the situation where all blood given to patients will be from voluntary sources, so that we don’t ask relatives of blood recipients to come and give blood for their patients,” he added.
The major challenges inhibiting blood donation, he observed, included fear.
“People fear that when they donate blood, something will happen to them,” he indicated.
He said while others ware afraid of knowing their health status after donating blood, generally people were also very apathetic.
“They wait until somebody is sick before they donate blood. But if you wait until that time, the blood you are donating to your patient may not be the same type that the patient may need.
“Ideally, blood should be here waiting for patients to collect and not for people to get sick before they look for people to donate for them,” he said.
Under the programme, the hospital is appealing to churches, organisations, schools, companies and individuals to donate blood to the centre, which is struggling to cope with the daily blood requirement.
Currently, the bank needs an average of 100 units (pints) of blood daily to satisfy the needs of patients of the hospital and those of major private healthcare facilities, including the Nyaho Clinic and the Trust Hospital.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Deputy Donor Recruiter of the centre, Mr Samuel Nunoo, said so far, a number of churches had responded to the appeal.
The situation, he said, had improved slightly but was quick to add, “We need more people to come and donate blood.”
The blood shortage was reported in the media last week, with fears that the centre could close down if the situation did not improve.
As of last Friday, the centre had only 28 pints screened for immediate use and 54 pints awaiting screening, but as of yesterday 268 units were waiting for processing.
Mr Nunoo said the bank’s blood stock had improved because during the weekend the centre did some outreaches.
In response, the Odokor SDA Church gave 54 units; the Head Office of the International Central Gospel Church donated 100; the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church at Mataheko responded with 17 units, with another church at Pokuase giving nine units.
Additionally, 12 people reported voluntarily to donate blood, an improvement on a situation which used to be an average of five volunteers a day in the past.
He said as a way of encouraging young people to donate blood, the centre had begun the formation of blood donation clubs in the various senior high schools (SHSs).
Already, 15 of such clubs are in existence in the Greater Accra Region.
Known as Pledge 25, SHS students are being orientated to start donating by age 17, so that by the time they reach 25, they would have donated about 25 times if they consistently donate every four months.
Ghana needs 250,000 units of blood annually to satisfy its blood transfusion needs, but the annual average currently is 130,000, leaving a shortfall of 120,000 units.
“If we are able to get this, anybody going to the hospital needing blood will get it without the hospital asking for replacement,” Mr Nunoo said.
“The ideal thing is that we want to get to the situation where all blood given to patients will be from voluntary sources, so that we don’t ask relatives of blood recipients to come and give blood for their patients,” he added.
The major challenges inhibiting blood donation, he observed, included fear.
“People fear that when they donate blood, something will happen to them,” he indicated.
He said while others ware afraid of knowing their health status after donating blood, generally people were also very apathetic.
“They wait until somebody is sick before they donate blood. But if you wait until that time, the blood you are donating to your patient may not be the same type that the patient may need.
“Ideally, blood should be here waiting for patients to collect and not for people to get sick before they look for people to donate for them,” he said.
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