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Blood not for sale at hospitals
A participant undergoing medical screening
The Deputy in-charge of the Laboratory Unit of the St Joseph Hospital in Koforidua, Selina Quashie, has urged the public to ignore speculations that blood was for sale in hospitals in the country.
According to Madam Quarshie,a Medical Laboratory Scientist, such speculations deterred people from donating to the blood banks, hence the blood shortages in the hospitals which has led to the death of many, especially pregnant women and accident victims.
She said what was usually paid by relations or friends of recipients were processing fees, adding that the notion was untrue and appealed to the public, especially corporate institutions to debunk such reports and donate to help save lives in the hospitals.
Madam Quashie made these statements during a blood donation exercise organised by the Koforidua Technical University and the St Joseph Hospital to encourage workers, lecturers and students to donate blood to the hospital in the municipality.
She disclosed that some tribes believed donating blood would cause men to lose their manhood or that the blood were sold to ‘Sakawa’, adding that some parents of students in the second cycle institutions advise their children not to donate because of the notion.
“As we speak, we only have just 10 pints of blood, five positives, ‘O’ positives, three ‘B’ positives and two ‘A’ positives. We don’t have O negatives, so if an emergency happens it will be difficult to save lives,” she said,adding that it was an unfortunate situation.
Madam Quashie said blood was an essential commodity that could not be bought at the market or the pharmacy and stated that there was the need for people to donate to save lives.
She stated that donating blood gave the public the opportunity to know their health status, adding that it was necessary to engage in the exercise to enable a person to know and receive help if necessary.
The Vice Chancellor of the Koforidua Technical University, Professor David Kofi Essumang called on all tertiary institutions in the country to organise blood donation exercises to support the hospital to have enough blood for their operations, adding that the country’s maternal mortality was high due to inadequate blood at the blood banks in hospitals across the country.
“It is unacceptable that women who have gone to deliver or victims of accidents who required blood will die as a result of inadequate blood.
He said the exercise was therefore necessary to enable the university to donate to stock the hospital’s blood bank with enough blood and revealed that management of KTU would organise the exercise annually to support the hospital.
“We make blood available to the hospital facilities so that when we are in need of blood, we will also fall on them to support us,” he said and stated that the universities played a major role in the health delivery system in the country and hence should support.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
