Do you know that in every two (2) seconds,
an individual needs blood to survive and that the unavailability of blood for
transfusion has led to loss of lives and serious ill health?
Are you also aware that of the over 24
million population of Ghana, should 1% donate blood annually, there would be no
blood shortage in Ghana?
Now ask yourself who constitutes that 1%.
Accident victims, patients requiring
surgical procedures including most pregnant women, medically diagnosed severe
aneamic individuals and many others require blood to live.
It is so surprising that even within this
modern era of scientific evolution, there is no single artificial replacement
for blood.
I can vividly recall the words of one of my
lecturers, Mr. Edwin Narter Olaga (Head of the 37 Military Hospital Blood
Bank): "the mere fact that mosquitoes and witches prefer blood should put
a silent message across that blood is life". It is on this note I bring to
notice that only blood donation can make blood available for transfusion.
WHO CAN DONATE BLOOD?
If you are not below 17yrs and above 60yrs
of age, you are eligible to donate blood. If you are not less that 50Kg of
weight, a sickle cell patient, diabetic, hypertensive, on medication for any
reason, asthmatic or chronic of any medical condition, you pass to donate to
save a life.
Since blood donation is geared towards
saving lives, health professionals responsible ensure that an individual is
him/herself safe in donating blood. For that matter, ones hemoglobin
concentration (blood level) is checked to ascertain you have enough blood to
donate. Other clinical and medical details of the donor is sought for
clarification. Donor just need to be sincere enough. As for the recipient, there
is no need to worry because the donated blood is taken through series of
infections testing and cross-matching before it is issued.
Blood donation does not only help the
recipient, but as well boosts the immune system of the donor to regenerate
newly healthy and capable cells to run the body; and such individual can
voluntarily donate as much as three times in a year.
Do not say there isn't enough time for
yourself because the right time is now! The blood donation itself takes about 5
to 10 minutes but just the entire process would take approximately 30 to an
hour to complete. Aside the normal minor pain of the invading needle for a
couple of seconds, blood donation is not painful as one may think. Only half a
liter out of the approximately 8 to 10 liters of the normal individual blood is
taken during blood donation and the blood volume is replaced within a day and
full content, within a week to a month.
Blood donation can be regarded as a
corporal work of mercy because it is a way of caring for the sick. Help clear
that persistent notion that "99.9% of the living has no relatives when it
comes to blood donation but 100% of the dead have relatives". Do something
so that in the future, you can beat your chest and say 'oh Yes! I have done my
part'. Let someone live! Donate blood!! Save lives!!
Credit:
Sampson Kafui Djonor
Biomedical Scientist
kadjnrsampson@gmail.com
0541437234
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