Prof. Alani Akanmu, a professor of Haematology and Blood Transfusion at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi-Araba, has decried the huge deficit in blood donation in the country.
Akanmu spoke on the sidelines of the LUTH 2022 World Blood Donor Day with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
He said that many Nigerians had lost their lives due to huge deficit in blood donation in the country.
Akanmu said that haemorrhagic challenges come as a result of accidents, building collapse with mass casualties coming to the hospital in need of blood transfusion at a time.
He said that the conditions associated with mass casualties were not rare and LUTH was fully committed in saving lives.
Akanmu said that was why the haematology department in LUTH was always there to enlighten people on the need for blood donation.
He said that Nigerians need to donate blood in order to restore the blood bank and meet up with haemorrhagic challenges.
Akanmu said that acceptance was extremely low and stressed the need to embark on enlightenment programmes for people to embrace voluntary blood donation.
Also speaking, Dr Abiola Ogbenna, Head of Department, Haematology and Blood Transfusion, LUTH, said that blood donation day was a day set aside by the department to create awareness on blood donation.
Ogbenna added that the department used the day to acknowledge and encourage donors on the need to do more.
Ogbenna said that many people were reluctant to donate while some feel that the blood would be used for other purposes.
She said that LUTH was improving in the area of blood donation with 15 per cent donation level at the moment.
“Our strength in LUTH was the ability to produce blood component, which means separating each unit of blood so that it could be used effectively.
“Three persons can benefit from a donor when it is separated into platelet, plasma (white cells) and red blood cells” she said.
She urged Nigerians to embrace blood donation.
“We are the ones that could save this country together; a unit of blood donated today could save three lives,” Ogbenna said. (NAN)
