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Queen mothers’ workshop held to build capacity on blood donation
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies has organised a day workshop for Queen mothers on blood donation in Ghana.
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies are doing this in partnership with the Global Blood Fund, lending their expertise and support to bring key stakeholders together to create awareness on the critical importance of blood donation during the crisis.
The initiative, held at Holiday Inn Hotel last week, was aimed at building community capacity to be able to reverse 80 per cent drop in blood collections in Ghana due to COVID-19.
According to President and Chief Executive Officer of Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, Antoinette Gawin, “We laud the First Lady and Queen mothers’ efforts to develop the health infrastructure in your communities and gladly share our global experiences to help craft solutions for you. This is part of our commitment to serve in the communities in which we operate.”
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Blood Service, Ghana (NBSG) Dr Justina Ansah, CEO noted that “We are optimistic each of us has nine pints of blood, and it takes only one pint to save a life.”
She added that the campaign will reach far and wide for every healthy Ghanaian to make the decision to donate blood to save a life.
Currently, thousands of maternal women, cancer patients, children with sickle cell disease and others who need life-saving blood transfusion are at risk.
Approximately 80 per cent of blood collections in Ghana are from students in secondary and tertiary schools and donations mobilised by faith-based organisations.
However, due to the necessary response to curb the spread of COVID-19, schools have been closed and large religious gatherings reduced, leading to 80 per cent fewer blood collections recorded by the National Blood Service.
The Queen mothers of Ghana are mobilising to help the initiative, known as the Champions of Change, to create awareness on the critical importance of blood donation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign will also include a social media campaign as well as other upcoming events.
The workshop delivered tools and strategies around donor recruitment and retention to support Queen mothers in their community outreach.
The goal is to help build capacity for safe, available and accessible blood for patients all over the country.
Champions of Change partners in Ghana include The Rebecca Foundation; The Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation, Institute for Research, Advocacy and Training (INSRAT), and SMART Global.
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
