Onitsha (Anambra) – The Nigeria Red Cross Society has appealed to residents of Anambra to donate blood twice a year in order to meet the blood requirement of the state.
Prof. Peter Katchy, the Vice-Chairman of Red Cross, Anambra Chapter, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha on Monday.
Katchy said that the call became necessary due to the shortage of blood to meet emergency situations in hospitals within the state.
“One of the major Red Cross activities in Anambra State is Blood Donors Recruitment Drive.
“Red Cross calls on the people of the state to develop the habit of engaging in Voluntary Blood Donation as a way of life, in order to enable the state and country meet the requirements of demand for safe blood transfusion services.
“Voluntary Blood Donation reduces maternal mortality and helps patients that are suffering from blood-related diseases such as sickle cell anaemia, victims of gunshots injuries and accident victims, among others.’’
According to him, the organisation emphasises on young donors who will willingly donate blood for people in need to save their lives.
Katchy expressed regret that even though the country needed about two million units of blood annually, only about 25,000 units was collected yearly.
He dismissed insinuations that a person could die while donating blood, saying the donor becomes healthier and stronger instead.
“The Nigeria Red Cross Society, Anambra State, therefore, urges you to donate blood at least twice a year to save lives,’’ he added.
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NAN recalls that some hospitals were unwilling to admit some of the victims of the tanker fire incident that occurred in the state abut two moths ago, due to lack of blood to give to them.
No fewer than 69 people died in the accident with 50 others injured. (NAN
