MTN distributes 514 pints of blood to hospitals in Western region

The Western Regional Chapter of telecommunication giant MTN Ghana has donated 514 pints of blood to three main hospitals in the Sekondi –Takoradi Metropolis of the Western Region.

This is to help reduce a 40% blood deficit in the country, according to the National Blood Bank.

The National Blood services, Ghana estimated population-based blood requirement of 270,000units of blood but only 160,000 units of blood are collected which leaves the country with a deficit of 40%. Hence this gesture by MTN to donate blood to various hospitals on every Valentine’s day.

Speaking to Journalist acting MTN Regional Manager of Western and Central, Mohammed Tiyuniba Yakubu said the donation of blood to the three hospitals in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis is critical as their research shows a majority of residents in the region come to these hospitals which are sometimes challenged with insufficient blood at their blood bank.

The annual  Valentine`s Day  blood donation was started some eight years ago to save the life of people who need blood and has since recorded heartwarming stories of people whose lives have been saved through the exercise

“one of the stories which touched me so much was this one customer whose baby was critically ill and needed blood transfusion urgently. The baby was save at the point of death. Can you imagine what would have happened if they ran out of blood?” He said

“We have had so many testimonials from customers who have told us their relatives needed lifesaving blood transfusions received care because of this initiative,” he added.

From a little over a 100 pints of blood that was recorded in the first exercise in 2011, MTN Ghana Save a life Campaign has made great successes, on Thursday 14th of February 2019 they were able to collect some 4449 pints of blood from nineteen bleeding centres set up across the ten regions of Ghana; a little above the estimated 3,500 for the day.

Considering the pints of blood collected, the Brong Ahafo region topped with  984 pints, followed by   Northern region with  669, Western  region 514,  Upper East  region 418, Greater Accra region 412, Ashanti  region 404, Central region  350, Upper West 311, Eastern region 235 with the  Volta region being  the least with  152 pints.

The hospitals which benefited from the 514 pints collected in the Western Region are the Effiankwanta Regional hospital, Essikado hospital and Nagel SDA hospital.