By: Abdulai Sankoh.
Sierra Leone is faced with a severe shortage of blood, with only 15% of the patients blood needs being met. Because of the dire consequences, especially on high maternal and infant mortality, as well as other life-threatening illnesses in Sierra Leone during emergency treatments, especially after road accidents, the hospitals rely on paid donations or donations of relatives with the same blood group to ensure a patient’s survival. A fitting donor can often not be found in time. It is against the backdrop the German embassy in Sierra Leone and GIZ organised a one day blood drive donation on Wednesday, 31st May, 2023, at the GIZ EnDev office in Freetown. The medical procedures for the blood drive were done by the Italian Association for Solidarity Among People (AISPO) and the National Safe Blood Service to promote the digitalisation of health services, lifeblood application facilitates the digital donor registration at the blood drive which was designed to facilitate effective mapping of supply and demand of blood products in Sierra Leone. The project manager of (AISPO), Dr. Francesco Aloi said that they are partnering with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the National Safe Blood Service. He said they contacted the German embassy for the blood drive donation, and the ambassador contacted GIZ, the German implementing agency, to be part of the blood drive donation. He said that as part of their mandate, AISPO is helping to build infrastructures of the national safe transmission service. They have completed the first regional transmission centre at PCMH, and they are constructing the second regional transmission centre at Makeni Government Hospital, and they will be producing the blood component in those centres. “Blood is necessary to save life. Our focus is to increase the capacity of the availability of blood in hospitals, even though there are lot of fears from the local population, we are doing our best to do more awareness by sensitising the public through community outreach program’s because the availability of blood at hospital is very important. Sierra Leoneans should donate blood to save lives because it is very necessary, he stated. The blood drive was opened by Jens Kraus-Masse, who is the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Sierra Leone with his own donation. “Your blood is their lives. Today, each one of you helps up to three patients to survive or change their lives for good. Hospitals in Sierra Leone are in dire need of blood donations. That is why your contribution today is highly respected. It is you who here now shows civil responsibility and a sense of caring for each other in your country. We hope that our blood drive raises awareness for more voluntary blood donations and for full blood banks in Sierra Leone in the future, for their lives, for yours” he stated. He concluded by calling on Sierra Leoneans, who are with the fervent beliefs that they should get financial reward before donating blood, there is no financial reward in donating blood but there is a moral reward because you can help people to service with your donation. You should sell your blood, and you are giving your love to people.The German Embassy and GIZ aim to not only collect many donations to fill the hospitals’ blood banks, but also to raise awareness for the importance of voluntary blood donations and the civil responsibility each citizen carries, to improve a country’s medical capacities. Hopefully, with more awareness, they will have more voluntary donors, regular blood drives, and full blood banks in Sierra Leone.
