Wilson Akubo, a pastor at the Family Worship Centre, Abuja, has called on fellow religious leaders to encourage their members to donate blood.
Mr Akubo represented the senior pastor of the church, Serah Omakwu, at an engagement with religious leaders as Nigeria marks its 3rd National Blood Donors’ Day in Abuja.
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He emphasised the importance of saving lives, noting that “We as a church have been helping in saving lives by donating blood for the past 20 years.”
“So I want to call on all churches, all pastors, all Imams to encourage their people to willingly donate blood. It is life-saving. And when we do that, we do it unto God.”
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Blood shortage in Nigeria
Director-General of the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), Saleh Yugudah, emphasised the critical need for blood donation in Nigeria.
“We are able to supply less than 30 per cent of our needs”, he said.
Additionally, he emphasised that the lack of available blood can have devastating effects on patients in need, including those suffering from maternal mortality, infant mortality, and road traffic accidents.
Citing World Health Organisation’s (WHO) estimates, Mr Yugudah encouraged all eligible Nigerians to donate blood, highlighting its numerous benefits, including saving lives and receiving free medical checkups.
He also clarified common misconceptions about blood donation, including the fact that women can donate blood safely and that hospitals collect service charges, not payment for blood.
Mr Yugudah reassured potential donors that women can donate blood safely, as long as they meet the necessary health criteria.
He also addressed concerns regarding the cost of blood, explaining that hospitals collect service charges, not payment for blood itself. These charges, Yugudah noted, are necessary to cover the costs associated with screening and testing donated blood.
Donors speak
Some donors shared their experiences and encouragement at the NBSA’s event, highlighting the importance of blood donation and its numerous benefits.
Samuel Eruwa, a first-time donor, emphasised the importance of blood donation as a “godly responsibility.”
He said: “I see this as a godly responsibility because Christianity, the basis of Christianity, is salvation, and God depicted that by giving his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. And as his followers, we have to emulate his footsteps by giving.”
Esther Williams, a donor, also highlighted some of the benefits associated with blood donations.
ALSO READ: Nigerian lawmakers pledge support for blood donation amid funding challenges
“From my little research, it’s just the law of giving and receiving. So if you give blood, it simply means you are purifying the wound in your body and you are giving room for more to come in. So it’s for your own health benefits too,” she said.
About NBSA
The NBSA is a critical component of Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure, playing a vital role in ensuring the availability of safe and adequate blood supply for the country’s healthcare system.
Established to address the perennial shortage of blood in Nigeria, the NBSA has been working tirelessly to promote voluntary blood donation, collect and screen donated blood, and distribute it to hospitals and healthcare facilities nationwide.
The NBSA’s core mandate is to ensure the availability of safe and adequate blood supply for Nigeria’s healthcare system.
To achieve this objective, the agency has set out to promote voluntary blood donation, improve the quality of donated blood, and enhance the efficiency of blood distribution nationwide.
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