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Blood not for sale at hospitals
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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
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
