News From District 9110

 

It was a sunny Saturday morning on 5th November between 8:00am till 4:30pm, the Rotary International district 91110 in partnerships with Rotary Clubs of Agege, Ikeja Centra, Ikeja GRA, Ikeja South, Isolo, Lagos Palmgroove Estate and Maryland organized blood donation camp. The event saw more than 70 people responding to the call and submitting themselves to donate their blood to the blood bank.

 

Nigeria lacks sources of safe blood for hospital patients in need of transfusions. Unfortunately, when blood is needed, most often it comes from a donor paid by the patient’s family, if one can be found with the proper blood type in time. Nigeria needs three million (3,000,000) units of safe blood annually (2% of 150 million of population). The annual deficit is put at over 1,800,000 units. This deficit results in-transfusion of blood from high risk donors such as donor paid.

The use of paid donors, coupled with the “just in time” manner in which blood transfusions are carried out fosters an environment where deadly viruses, such as HIV (AIDS), hepatitis and other blood –borne diseases are often transmitted from blood donor to patient. 5 - 10 % of HIV/AIDS infections in Africa occur from unsafe blood transfusions

The D9110 Blood Donation Committee Chairman, Rot (Dr) Femi Akodu, said that donating blood saves lives and blood donated during this camp outreach would be transferred to the blood bank from where it would be available to those who need them, especially accident victims, sickle cell patients or those having emergency or complicated health cases,” he said.

The D9110 Blood Donation Committee Chairman further disclosed that the objective of the committee is to organize monthly blood camp so as to collect as much blood as possible for onward transmission to Lagos State Blood Bank. The maiden monthly blood donation held at Rotary centre Ikeja also has in attendance the executive secretary of Lagos State Blood Transfusion Services, Dr (Mrs) Modupe Olaiya and representatives of Lagos State Commissioner of Health. The representatives of permanent secretaries for Lagos State Health ministry and Health Service Commission were also at the camp.  

 

Response was very encouraging as no less than 40 people donated blood and we are still expecting more people. This is the first time we are organizing a programme of this nature as a Rotary district.  We are happy that the awareness we created through sending of banners and flyers to some Rotary and Rotaract Clubs, flyers to individuals, engaging social media through Whatsapp, BBM, tweeter, instalgram and facebook, all yielded positive results.

Many people are apprehensive when it comes to donating blood, not realizing the fact that they are doing themselves a lot of good by donating blood as the fresh blood that replaces the one donated makes their bodies to become refreshed and they also become more active and their immune system boosted.