Source: The Nation
Lagos: The Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee (LSBTC) has called for voluntary blood donors.
Its Executive Secretary, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee, Dr. Uwem Olusola-Oyekan, said the blood banks are empty.
Speaking at a workshop for youths, he said the quantity of donated blood was lower than what was needed. "What happens if a patient needs blood in an emergency and nobody is able to find any in the blood bank? The patient may pay the supreme price. Hence this appeal that voluntary donors should enrol for blood donation," Olusola-Oyekan said.
According to her, Lagos State should have at least 185,000 units of blood yearly to cater for emergency with a population of 18.5 million people.
She said: "For a state of 18.5million inhabitants, we should have at least 185,000 units every year, but what we have is far less then that as we have only about 80,000 units in a year so there is a huge deficit. As a result of this, people are being asked to look for blood donors when their family members and friends are in dire need of blood which should not be."
Head, Blood Recruiting Unit, LSBTC, Dr. Temilola Alayande, said Nigerians should have positive attitude towards voluntary blood donation, stressing it would help save many lives.
She said the workshop would aid recruitment of voluntary blood donors among youths to encourage them to donate more blood due to the age. "We are recruiting youths because they have many years to be active donors," she added.
President, Club 25, a blood donor group of youths between 18 and 25, Mr Sogo Olosunde, identified parental pressure, peer pressure and religious beliefs as factors hindering blood donation. Others are culture, norms and values in Africa and lack of proper orientation.
On the seminar, he said it was aimed at sensitising people to increase the number of voluntary blood donation by regular donor, while recruiting new donors.