Over two hundred Senior High School students on Friday participated in a voluntary blood donation exercise organised by the Community Hospital at Oda in the Birim Central District of the Eastern Region.

The exercise was in response to a recent appeal by the Community Hospital for residents to donate blood to save the lives of accident victims who need urgent blood transfusion.

The students were drawn from the Akim Swedru, St. Francis, Attafuah and Oda Senior High Schools all in the catchment of the district.

Shortage of blood at the Korle Bu Blood Centre has compelled National Blood Transfusion Service to roll out an emergency programme to get more blood for patients.

The blood bank is appealing to churches, organisations, schools, companies and individuals to donate blood to the centre which is struggling to cope with the daily blood requirement.

Currently, the bank needs an average of 100 units (pints) of blood daily to satisfy the needs of patients of public and major private health care facilities in the country.

The donors were presented with certificates, recuperating products from Nestle Ghana Limited and some hospital souvenirs.

         Staff of the Community Hospital, from left: Cindy Quist (Administration), Ernestina Amo-Mensah (Claims), Mrs. Felicia         Vera Darko (Head of Laboratory) and Eric Nkansah (Operations).