Graphic Communications Group supports blood bank
The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) yesterday organised a blood donation exercise to help restock the National Blood Bank (NBB).
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The exercise, the second since its inception in 2015, formed part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
The exercise was held at the company’s head office at Adabraka in Accra.
Some workers of the GCGL and other companies nearby, as well as residents of Adabraka and some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the Korle Klottey Constituency, participated in the exercise.
“Health is paramount”
The Director of Packaging at GCGL (GPAK), Mr James Edu Dadzie, told journalists that health was paramount to the GCGL and therefore the blood donation and the free annual health screening exercises organised by the company were not only for the staff of the company but for residents of the nearby communities.
He said the exercise, which targeted 400 ounces of blood for the NBB, was very important because “blood is life” and anybody could be in need of it at any time.
He urged corporate organisations to replicate the exercise and impressed on the public to regularly and voluntarily donate blood to stock the various blood banks. He added that “blood is life and by donating blood you are saving a life or a loved one”.
The exemptions
According to the National Blood Bank, with a population of more than 25 million, the country needs to have in stock 250,000 units of blood all the time but the bank usually has only 150,000 units.
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It is estimated that only 5.6 per cent of the public donate blood.
A Senior Blood Donor Officer at the National Blood Service, Mr Stephen Danso, urged members of the public between the ages of 17 and 60 to donate blood, “because what we have is never enough”.
Although the blood service is not in crisis, he said it was necessary for individuals to regularly donate blood to prevent shortages.
Lawyer Philip Addison (right), NPP parliamentary aspirant for the Klottey-Korle Constituency, checking his blood pressure (BP) before donating blood during the blood donation exercise
He said diabetic and hypertensive patients, sickle cell, lactating mothers and pregnant women were among the few who were exempted from donating their blood.
He further noted that severe anaemic children, women with complications during and after childbirth, sickle cell patients and accident victims usually needed blood.
Adabraka Manye
The Adabraka Manye, Naa Korkor Aadzieoyi, thanked GCGL for its continued support for the Adabraka community, especially in the area of health.
She encouraged the public to donate blood to save lives and ignore the negative perceptions about donating blood.
Addison
The NPP parliamentary aspirant for the Klottey Korle Constituency, Mr Philip Addison, who led a number of the party’s supporters to donate blood, commended the GCGL for the initiative.
A blood donor, Mr Bismark Osei Owusu, said he had donated blood three times and added that “since I am healthy, I think I should do that to save a life because it is really painful to see that a life is lost because there is no blood”.