Gombe FTH commemorates blood donor day
The Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Gombe, Department of Haematology and Blood transfusion has held a road walk to mark the 2022 Blood Donor day with the theme” Donating blood is an act of solidarity, join the effort and solve lives”
The road walk started from the Administrative block down to the new Accident and Emergency block, and terminated at the conference hall of the FTH where the participants converged for a lecture.
In an address, at the conference hall, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital Dr Yusuf Abdullahi represented by Chairman Medical Advisory Committee CMAC Dr. Esin Issa Abdurrazak said the importance of blood donation cannot be over emphasised in saving lives many patients.
He appealed to people to imbibe the spirit of voluntary donation of blood saying it saves lives of many emergency patients.
The CMD commended the Department of Haematology and blood transfusion for organizing the event which is targeted towards awareness creation.
Also, the deputy CMAC Dr Sani Adamu also stressed the importance of voluntary blood donation, saying patient may require fifty to hundred pines depending on blood product needed hence the need for the people to volunteer themselves for blood donation.
He said people should be emphatic when it comes to blood donation as it may one day be their turn to require such help, adding that the holy books also encourages saving lives.
He said, “If you refuse to donate blood and others do not you may one day require transfusion and only God will save you.”
The former CMD of the FTH Dr Abubakar Saidu said blood donation is a critical aspect of health care services and stressed the need for the people to be involved.
The Head of Department Haematology and blood transfusion Dr Kashim Mohammed Pindiga in a lecture traced the history of world blood donor day to Karl Landsteiner who won a Nobel prize award for ABO blood group in 1900 and fourteen June being his birthday, was set aside by world health organisation to commemorate the day.
He said the day is to encourage individuals from all countries to donate blood voluntarily in order to save lives of those who need blood because their level of blood is low due to one or more ailments.
Dr Pindiga said, “although there are commercial donors, the best and safest are voluntary donors hence the awareness and appeals for peoples to voluntarily donate their blood.”
Responding to the question on the number of voluntary donors who come to the FTH, the HOD said the rate is very low saying there are more of commercial donors than the voluntary ones.
He also dispelled misconceptions that women are not potential donors saying although women mensurate every month they could still donate so long as they are in good health and weight.
The HOD said aside saving lives, blood donation is also beneficial to the donor as it provides health education and encourages maintenance of heathy life style, increases self esteem, provides regular check ups among others.
Some of the blood donors interviewed at the FTH to include Yahaya Abdullahi, Nasiru Yahaya said they are voluntarily donating their blood to contribute their quota in the Heath sector to safe lives of many that require blood transfusion.
