The Samuel Amo Tobin Foundation, over the weekend organised a blood donation and health screening exercise to support the National Blood Service to replenish the National Blood Bank.

The exercises in Accra, which is part of the Foundation’s annual activities, drew a large crowd who came to lend support by donating blood, while others taking advantage to get screened for various ailments.

There was fasting blood sugar test very early in the morning, malaria, body mass index, blood pressure as well as breast cancer test.

The Executive Director of the Foundation, Harriet Nottinson Asante, said the blood donation drive was in response to the call by the National Blood Service as the Esther festivities draws closer. 

She said the Foundation spearheads the corporate social responsibilities on behalf of the Tobinco group of companies and they thought it prudent to collaborate with the National Blood Service, St. Karol School of Nursing and the Entrance University to undertake the exercise. 

“Stocking the blood bank saves lives so we have taken it upon ourselves to save the numerous pregnant women, accident victims, and malaria patients would need blood.

“We cannot wait until it is dire before going to town with such an exercise. It could be any of our loved ones who may need blood to be saved and only God knows whether by that time it will be available. So we need such exercises,” she said. 

She was excited that the message is getting down with people to voluntarily donate blood to save lives and was excited by the numbers of people. 

Mrs. Nottinson  Harriet urged other corporate bodies to challenge themselves by organising similar exercises to restock the National Blood Service.

On his part, the Public Relations Officer of the National Blood Service, Stephen Addai-Baah, thanked the Foundation for always thinking about them and supporting them. 

Calling on more voluntary blood donations on a yearly basis, he said if one per cent of the population donated blood, it would put the National Blood Bank in a very good position to take care of emergency situations like accidents. 

He encouraged individuals and other corporate bodies to embark on more blood donation exercises annually so the people who need help can immediately be helped.

A donor, Emmanuel Boateng, 25 who is a photographer by profession said stories about people dying due to inability to get them blood saddens him thus his motivation to donate blood. 

“When I hear that a woman has died during childbirth because she lost lots of blood and cannot immediately get a replacement, I get worried.

“I have lost a friend who died after losing a lot of blood through an accident and the family struggled to get him blood,” he disclosed encouraging the youth to live a healthy life to be able to donate blood when they are called upon.