Blood bank limited by lack of vehicle

Lack of vehicle for site visits and blood donation campaigns is a major difficulty facing the Volta Regional Hospital Blood Bank. Under the circumstances the bank relies on voluntary donors and others who call specifically to donate to friends and family members as well as workplace and other social groups who occasionally donate blood to the bank. Mr Vincent Fekpe, Volta Region Blood Organiser, said this when some soldiers of the 66 Artillery Regiment donated 50 units of blood to the bank on Friday. He said the bank needed a minimum of between 60 and 80 units of blood to respond to emergencies even though ideally it should be able to meet requests from other hospitals in the region. Major Kingsley Affrifah, acting second in command of the regiment, told the GNA that personnel from the regiment donate blood to the bank twice a year as part of its social responsibility to the people and "to strengthen the relationship between the security service and civilians." He said by donating blood to the hospital the soldiers would be helping their relatives and friends who might need blood in emergency situations.