No fewer than 92 persons on Tuesday voluntarily donated Blood to save lives at Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola to mark the 2021 World Blood Donor Day.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed this while briefing the newsmen at the end of the exercise in Yola.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CMD was represented by Dr Chavala Gundiri, a resident doctor and also a Hematologist at the hospital.
“We celebrated the World Blood Donor Day today, Tuesday, because June 14 was a public holiday, marking Nigeria’s Democracy Day,” he said.
Abubakar said that there was a need for aggressive advocacy, with a view to encourage people to donate as a social responsibility in saving lives.
According to him, the health benefits of blood donation include free medical screening and listed in the donor register to be able to benefit from the donation should the need arises.
He added that the safest donors include being healthy, safe blood and falling between the ages of 18 to 65 years.
Abubakar said that other qualities are having 50kg and above weight and having a PCV 36 to 45 for female and 40 to 52 for male.
He identified those who are not to donate blood to include the medically unfit, pregnant and breastfeeding women, those on medication and those with sickle cell and venereal diseases.
According to him, the beneficiaries of donated blood are those with severe anaemia and bleeding in pregnancy and childbirth, accident victims, patients undergoing surgery and cancer, AIDs and sickle cell patients.
NAN reports that the World Blood Donor Day is celebrated every June 14 to promote awareness regarding need for safe blood and to appreciate the contribution of voluntary blood donors in saving lives.(NAN)
