National Blood Commission Inaugurates Blood Safety Club to Encourage Youth Donors

The National Blood Service Commission has inaugurated the Tertiary Education Blood Safety Club to mobilise and encourage young people to become voluntary blood donors.

This is to mark the maiden edition of the National Blood Donor Day celebration marked every December 8 in the country on the theme, “Donating Blood is a Civic Responsibility” alongside the slogan, “Donate Today, Save a Life”.

The Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr Bodunrin Osikomaiya said the day is set aside to boost voluntary blood donation as a civic responsibility, appreciate stakeholders, and bring voluntary blood donation to the consciousness of the citizens.

According to Osikomaiya, this would be done through massive sensitisation and public enlightenment activities, expanding the stakeholder’s collaboration for blood donation across the country to advocate for more support from decision makers at all levels towards the provision of safe blood and blood products as well as ensure blood establishments and hospitals are working together to provide sustainable quantities of safe blood for our country Nigeria.

While acknowledging that the National Blood Service Commission under the leadership of Dr O. J. Amedu unveiled the Tertiary Education Blood Safety Club, she said this would discourage risky behaviour amongst students.

“It will build capacity to address social issues and engender positive behavioural change and to encourage students to research blood and blood products to improve the quality and safety of blood services,” she added. 

Alongside the inauguration, the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service in partnership with the management and staff of Eko University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ijanikin has organised a voluntary blood donation drive to commemorate the event. 

The blood donor day celebration was held simultaneously at its two centres in Ijanikin and In Igando General Hospital, Alimosho bringing together both students and staff to save lives by donating blood for those that require it. 

Eko University of Medicine and Health Sciences is the first privately owned medical institution in Lagos state established in 2018 and situated in Ijanikin with its Basic Clinical Science section at Igando General Hospital Alimosho. 

The Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution Prof. Dayo Ejiwunmi, who has taken interest and approved the partnership between the institution and LSBTS, outlined that the blood donated would add to the number of the World Health Organisation’s recommendation to meet the safe blood requirements in Nigeria of at least 2,000,000 units. 

Ejiwunmi, therefore, spurred the students to make this selfless altruistic act a culture and he reached out to other organisations of learning, youth-based organisations and corporate bodies to promote voluntary blood donation.

Speaking also, the Consultant Haematologist and Acting Head of the Haematology and Blood Transfusion Department, enlightened the staff and students about the advantages of blood donation.

He said it includes maintaining good health through the production of new blood cells, an opportunity to have a general health check, and the detection of potential health problems like elevated and low blood levels. 

Olaiya also pointed out that they can donate blood every three months. “A unit of blood can save more than one life by the production of blood products like platelet concentrates, fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate which are emergency needs in bleeding and coagulation disorders.”