Dr Shirley Owusu-Ofori, Head of Medicine Transfusion Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital with the Asokwa MCE, Chief Akwannuasa Gyimah as they interact with a voluntary donor at the Kumasi City Mall last Wednesday.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Asokwa, Chief Akwannuasa Gyimah has commended the head and staff at the Medicine Transfusion Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for risking their lives to carry out blood donation exercise in the face of the outbreak of COVID 19 in the country.
The MCE also praised donors who had voluntarily donated blood at the Kumasi City Mall (KCM) and the premises of Luv fm where the Unit has mounted collection points.
Speaking to this reporter after visiting the collection point at KCM where some residents of Asokwa were donating blood, Mr Akwannuasa said he was very happy about the commitment shown by the KATH blood unit as well as donors.
He urged Asokwa residents who were yet to donate blood to visit the KCM and do so, adding this would help the unit to restock its bank to be able to respond to emergencies that would come up.
“I am pleasantly surprised that people at the Blood Unit as well as donors would risk their lives in the face of this COVID- 19 to help the unit to restock its bank so as to be able to respond to emergencies that may require the use of blood”, Mr Akwannuasa noted.
HEAD OF UNIT:
Speaking to this reporter, Dr Mrs Shirley Owusu-Ofori, Head of the Medicine Transfusion Unit thanked the MCE for passing by to observe processes in the Blood donation drive by the unit that would last until the lock down was over.
She encouraged shoppers to pass by the unit to donate blood to help the unit restock its bank.
Dr Owusu-Ofori disclosed that since the announcement of their outreach many had reached out to the unit through its whatsapp platform and online portals to express willingness to donate blood.
She noted that both the KCM and the Luv fm collection points have recorded a slow start but was hopeful that more people would donate as the days wore on.
“We are happy with the enthusiasm shown by our voluntary donors who call to book appointments and we are hopeful that as they do others who happen to be around the mall and luv fm would pass by to donate theirs to help us respond to emergencies that may come up at the hospitals in Ashanti region and KATH”, Head of the Unit posited.
OBSERVATIONS:
Taking precautions in the face of the COVID 19 outbreak, the Blood Unit had clothed its staff with the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE).
With their gloves on and wearing nose masks, Dr Owusu-Ofori and the team were also paying strict adherence to the social distancing measures as declared by the Ministry of Health.
At the time of visiting, the unit had demarcated two joints to carry out the process.
A screening joint had been mounted for voluntary donors to undergo tests to ensure they were fit before they were allowed to give out blood.
Another joint had been mounted where the collection of blood was taking place as the appropriate equipment and beds had been provided to ensure those who gave out blood could relax and take in some fluids after giving out blood.
