Health experts have urged Nigerians to voluntarily donate blood regularly because the national blood bank is gradually drying up.
They said people should not wait until emergencies to donate blood.
Health experts have urged Nigerians to voluntarily donate blood regularly because the national blood bank is gradually drying up.
They said people should not wait until emergencies to donate blood.
This was the consensus in Abuja on Tuesday at a press briefing organised by the National Blood Transfusion Service in collaboration with the Trauma Care International Foundation (TCIF).
The event was held to educate Nigerians by debunking myths associated with blood donation and transfusion.
The organisers also intend to recruit 10,000 new voluntary blood donors across the country.
Speaking at the event, the senior executive officer of TCIF, Olajumoke Akisanya, said Nigerians need to cultivate the habit of voluntarily donating blood and discard the various myths surrounding blood donation.
“Many Nigerians need to be aware that blood donation saves lives, both for the donor and the receiver. Currently Nigeria needs at least 1.8 million units of blood in the blood bank, but the country is far behind,” she said.
Ms Akisanya said it is important to have surplus blood in the blood bank, especially for pregnant women and people with sickle cell anemia who often need blood transfusion.
“A sickle cell patient on an average receives 10 to 12 pints of blood per year. There are also others who need urgent blood transfusion.
“In order to play our part in saving lives, we are organising a voluntary blood donation drive in multiple locations around Nigeria on June 30 from 10a.m to 6p.m.
Culled from: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/health/272955-health-experts-urge-nigerians-to-donate-blood.html
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