GHANAIANS DONATE OVER 6,000 UNITS OF BLOOD AT MTN FOUNDATION ‘SAVE A LIFE’ CAMPAIGN ON VALENTINE’S DAY
Dr. Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey (right), CEO of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications going through checks to donate blood
The MTN Ghana Foundation’s annual ‘Save A Life’ campaign yielded its highest ever donation of blood at the 2023 edition of the event.
About 6,440 units of blood was collected during the blood donation campaign which takes place every year on St. Valentine’s Day.
The ‘Save a Life’ campaign mobilizes partners and customers of MTN, and the public to voluntarily donate blood to support the National Blood Bank and several regional and district health facilities in the country.
The Foundation surpassed its target of collecting of 4,000 units of blood from 47 bleeding centers across the 16 regions of the country this year.
Commenting on the exercise, Manager, Sustainability and Social Impact at MTN Ghana Foundation, Rhoderlyn Entsua-Mensah reiterated the Foundation’s commitment to support the drive for voluntary blood donation. “As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, we at MTN Ghana Foundation believe that the availability of safe blood is critical in health administration. This blood donation initiative was instituted to improve health delivery and so far, it has been phenomenal”, Mrs. Entsua- Mensah said.
“This year, we set out to collect 4,000 units of blood and through the generosity of our donors, we exceeded our target and were able to collect about 6440 units. The units of blood collected will go to the National Blood Service, partner hospitals and health facilities across the country.” she added.
The CEO of the National Blood Service, Dr. Shirley Owusu- Ofori thanked MTN Ghana Foundation for its unwavering commitment and support to promoting voluntary blood donation over the years.
“Twelve years ago, MTN Ghana Foundation partnered the National Blood Service to raise public awareness on the need for safe blood for transfusion. It has also been an opportunity for society to give back especially those who have benefited from blood donations. This occasion has also been used to highlight the critical contributions voluntary unpaid blood donors make to the national healthcare delivery system. Voluntary blood donation is safe and it is the only means to support friends and loved ones who need blood transfusion to manage health conditions”, Dr. Shirley said.
Dr. Owusu- Ofori also used the opportunity to encourage the public and other stakeholders to work collectively to show love and help save lives by participating in voluntary blood donation exercises.
The ‘Save a Life’ Campaign has since its inception yielded over 20,000 units of blood. Until this year’s event, the highest collection was in 2020, when the ‘Save a Life’ Campaign yielded 6,036 units of blood. Over the years, MTN Ghana Foundation has been recognized for the impact and contributions the ‘Save a Life’ campaign has made to Ghana’s health care system.
