Visionary Reports

  Medical Personnel and the population have been called upon to “give blood and keep the world beating”.

June 14 is the day set aside as the International World Blood Donor day. The day is aimed at raising awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion and of the critical contribution voluntary, unpaid blood donors make to national health systems. The day also provides an opportunity to call to action to governments and national health authorities to provide adequate resources and put into place systems and infrastructures to increase the collection of blood from voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors.

Against this backdrop, the association of Medical Doctors in Cameroon (Medcamer) on Saturday June 12 launched a campaign to motivate health personnel and the population at large to donate blood and save lives. Safe blood and blood products and their transfusion are a critical aspect of care and public health. They save millions of lives and improve the health and quality of life of many patients every day. The need for blood is universal, but access to blood for all those who need it is not. Blood shortages are particularly acute in   laquintinie reasons why the president of Medcamer, Dr. Marie Solange Ndom-Ebonge explained that they have started with the sensitization of medical personnel so that they should do more than prescribing blood but also to become donors. She said they wanted the medical doctors to be engaged in donating blood so as to save lives “75 % of blood in demand in Cameroon is not available, blood is not sold, we only have supplements for blood and if people do not donate blood it becomes a huge problem” she opines. With this, Dr Marie Solange Ndom-Ebonge called on the population to go to the blood bank and donate blood to save lives.

A good number of people have been yielding to the call as they were lined up at the blood bank in laquintinie hospital to donate blood. One of them was Agathe Zalli Amba who she came to donate blood in other to save a life

 According to the head of the quality control in the blood bank of laquintinie hospital Madam Bessem Agbor Tarkang; the initiative is timely as they were always in need of blood. She appreciated impressive turnout so and thanked Medcamer for such an initiative.

Worth mentioning is that the theme for this year World Blood Donor Day is “Give blood and keep the world beating”. This highlights the essential contribution blood donors make to keeping the world pulsating by saving lives and improving others’ health. It reinforces the call for more people to donate blood regularly and contribute to better health.

By GINA ESONG