Blood collected during voluntary drives are not used for rituals - NBS

The National Blood Service (NBS), Ghana has denied assertions by a preacher that blood donated during community blood donations organised by the Despite Group of Companies are used for rituals by Mr Osei Kwame Despite.

According to the NBS, the assertions by Evangelist Emmanuel Addai that the blood collected from voluntary blood donors at events organised by Despite's companies do not get to hospitals are uninformed and portrays a lack of understanding of the process.

A statement signed by Dr Justina K. Ansah, CEO of the NBS described the assertions which were contained in video and audio recordings as palpably false, baseless and most regrettable.

"We wish to state without equivocation that NO STAFF OF THE DESPITE GROUP OF COMPANIES was involved in the technical processes of the blood donation exercise (that is, registration; screening; blood collection; storage; and transportation of the donated blood during the recent ceremony community blood drive at the El-Wak Sports Stadium on 30th June 2018. The entire blood donation exercise was successfully managed by a joint team of dedicated health professionals drawn from the Southern Zonal Blood Centre, 37 Military Hospital, Police Hospital, and Cape Coast Teaching Hospital," the statement said.

"The donated blood collected, as usual, were properly documented and uniquely identified with barcode numbers in line with the mandatory requirement for documenting and tracing blood which is aimed at improving blood safety".

Read the concluding part of the statement below;