The National Blood Service of Ghana, in conjunction with the Kwaaba Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has launched an Inter-school Blood Donation Tracker App to track voluntary donations by Senior High Schools (SHS) around the country.
The App counts the units of blood donated by each school in the districts and regions.
It is expected to acknowledge the critical role second-cycle schools play in replenishing blood banks nationwide and reward their efforts.
Dr Shirley Owusu Ofori, the Acting Chief Executive Officer, the National Blood Service of Ghana, said: “Our students already do well in donating blood, but it is still important to inculcate in them the spirit of giving to save lives.”
The Inter-school Blood Donation Tracker App project was launched in Koforidua during the 60th Anniversary Celebration of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools in April this year, where over 700 heads of SHS convened to examine secondary education in Ghana after more than three decades of existence.
Attendees discussed numerous educational topics in keeping with the anniversary theme: “60 Years of Shaping Second-cycle Education in Ghana, the Challenges and Successes in Contemporary Times—the Role of Stakeholders.”
Dr Ofori called on heads of the various SHSs to the Conference to support the campaign to generate a buzz like other inter-school activities such as sports, maths and science quizzes.
“So, whenever the Blood Service comes to your school for a blood donation exercise or your school visits a hospital to donate blood, please make sure they are using the Blood Donation Tracker App for your school’s effort to be recognised and rewarded,” she said.
Maame Kwaaba Stephens, Founder of the Kwaaba Foundation, and Brand Ambassador for the National Blood Service in Ghana urged the media to promote the inter-school blood donation campaign.
She called on the media to give it the publicity needed to create awareness, adding: “If the media does not cover it, the public will not be aware of it. Donating blood is a gesture of solidarity; blood connects us all.”
“The second cycle schools give the most blood, to the extent that when the schools are on break the blood banks run dry,” she added.
Maame Stephens said any person at age 17 and upwards could donate blood but would have to go through screening to make sure the prospective donor was fit, healthy, and had enough blood to give out.
“It is the excess blood that is not performing any function in you that we need,” she added.
Kwaaba Foundation focuses on health, socio-economic empowerment and other community initiatives.
Source: GNA