The donors undergoing the process
The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union-Ghana (ICU) has mobilised more than 300 of its members from branches within Accra and Tema to donate blood to the National Blood Bank at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
The blood donation exercise, which was held at the ICU House in Kokomlemle, last Wednesday also attracted two of its foreign partners from a group named SASK in the Netherlands.
Solomon Kotei, General Secretary of ICU, in a brief statement indicated that ICU’s decision to mobilise its personnel for the exercise was in response to an appeal from the National Blood Bank to replenish its blood stocks.
Reiterating the importance of blood donation, he mentioned that it is an exercise which has multiple benefits for both the donor and the beneficiary and the ultimate joy of saving a life.
“Blood donation is comparable to sowing a seed or an investment which can be reaped in the future by the donor when he or his relation is in dire need of blood,” he stated.
According to him, last Wednesday’s donation was the second time ICU had made an attempt to mobilise its personnel for a national assignment.
He assured that this will, henceforth, be institutionalised by the union and carried out nationwide on regular basis.
The general secretary further stated that the practice of donating blood to the National Blood Bank to save lives is not only a public call to duty, but also a divine responsibility being fulfilled.
Mr Kotei, on behalf of the group, called on corporate bodies in Ghana to equally join in the campaign for blood donation to the National Blood Bank as a pool where the country’s medical facilities can access blood for patients who are in dire need of it.
Thomas Attiah, Accra Regional Officer, ICU, expressed his excitement for hosting the event for the second time, and assured that if given the opportunity, the region will continue to be the centre for such a laudable project.
Mr Henry, a representative of SASK in the Netherlands, who lauded the ICU for the initiative, indicated that contemporary trends in unionism worldwide demands that unions give back to society some of their earnings as a social intervention to alleviate vulnerable groups.
Joyce Oppong Adu, a representative of the National Blood Bank, added that every certified blood from any of the groups counts and relevant to save a life.
She commended the management of the ICU for mobilising its members to donate blood to the National Blood Bank.
By Solomon Ofori