The Zongo community of Ashaiman in collaboration with the National Blood Donation Service held a blood donation exercise over the weekend at the Ibn Abass Mosque in Ashaiman in Accra.
Benjamin Kumbuor
According to the organisers of the event, the exercise was aimed at saving more blood at the blood bank to save lives in hospitals and health centres.
Briefing journalists on the event, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakari, Chairman of the Zongo community, disclosed that the blood donation exercise has been established as an annual event and organised by the Zongo community of Ashaiman to save lives at the Tema General Hospital and the Korle-bu Teaching hospital.
According to him, the numerous deaths of women and children during and after child birth were due to the loss of blood and the shortage of blood at some major hospitals in the country.
“It is in this vein that we, the Muslim community in Ashaiman, have taken it upon ourselves to donate blood twice in a year to the Tema General Hospital and the Korle-bu teaching hospital to help save lives,” Alhaji Abubakari indicated.
He further stated that the donation is an initiative of the Zongo community and was opened to everyone who was willing to donate.
“As you can see everybody got involved; we had some prominent people who took part in the exercise which included the Chief of Wangara community, Chief Osumanu Awudu Berma, Chief Alhaji Ibrahim Yaro Salifu, Chief of the Zongo community, and the Chairman of the Zongo Parliament, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakari,” he pointed out.
For his part, Mr John Ahadji, the head of the blood donation team at the blood centre in Korle-bu, said the team often comes to the Zongo community twice every year to embark on the project.
He noted that the event has always been successful and revealed that this is the 7th time within the past three years that the event has been held.
He therefore expressed his profound gratitude to the Zongo community for the good work they have been doing for the past three years and urged them to continue the good work.
“The chairman and the entire Zongo community are appealing to organizations, companies, and individuals to support and sponsor this laudable exercise put in place by the Zongo community as part of efforts to save lives in our hospitals,” Mr Ahadji appealed.
He further seized the opportunity to inform the general public and the Zongo community that the next blood donation program will come off in July at Lebanon, a suburb of Ashaiman, and charged all and sundry to be there.
“Anyone willing to sponsor this good work should please contact the chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakari, on 0244 27 66 23 or come to the Ibn Abass Mosque at Ashaiman Zongo,” announced Mr Ahadji.
STORY: CHARITY A. SACKITEY