The need for blood in health facilities for transfusion is one major issue most patients of various ailments would have to grapple with on daily basis.

The situation in the Oti Region is not different from what happens at the national level when it comes to blood shortage. The very recent need for blood which has triggered calls for residents to consider donating, was when a woman delivered twins and needed a transfusion.

The only place hospital officials could get blood type O- for transfusion was at the St Joseph Catholic Hospital at Nkwanta in the Nkwanta South Municipality, three hours drive away.

The doctor managing affairs at the Worawora Government Hospital, Joseph Mawunyo Apeadido said the blood bank at the regional facility is running out.

“Currently at the Worawora Government Hospital, our blood bank has inadequate stock. Sometimes, we have just two or three pints of blood left in stock depending on what type of blood is available. Our stock is woefully inadequate.”

Dr. Apeadido also added that getting blood for transfusion from sister facilities in the region is becoming difficult. This even depends on the blood type needed for transfusion coupled with the bad road network in the region.

“In emergency situations, you don’t get the right people to donate blood to save lives. We sometimes have to call on sister facilities most of which are far away and they would tell you they do not have. Sometimes we would have to refer cases but we would have to stabilize the condition of patients because some of them are critical and we end up losing some of our patients.”

His comments came in the wake of shortage of blood at the blood bank at the facility, especially the uncommon blood types.

In view of this, residents of Tapa-Amanfrom in the Biakoye district of the Oti Region organised a blood donation exercise to help stock the blood bank at the facility.

Hope Network, which is a group of youth residents assisted with the exercise.

According to the group, the closest health facility to their community is the Worawora Government Hospital, hence the need to support it.

The Secretary to the group, Louis Asiedu said the development of the area cannot be left on the shoulders of government and the elders of the community alone.

“We have seen that a lot of things are not going well with us as a people. But we cannot leave this burden on Nananom alone. So we are here to support the Worawora Government Hospital which is the biggest hospital within our district by donating blood to help the government hospital because that is where when our people are sick, they go.”

An Anaesthetic nurse at the Worawora Government Hospital, Fortune Atakpa who has donated blood 44 times called on residents in the area to disregard any misconceptions about blood donation and consider doing same.

“I am using this opportunity to talk to the youth especially to take it up. There are so many advantages. One important thing is that as a voluntary blood donor, when any relative of yours needs blood anywhere in the country, they get it free of charge because you have donated to save lives.”

Nana Ama Pokuwaa Ampomaa, the Nifahemaa of Worawora Traditional Area also called on residents in the area to support efforts at restocking the blood bank.

Meanwhile, JoyNews sources say Zipline is also making efforts to establish its facility in the Oti Region. This would in future help in the timely delivery of blood for transfusion.