Orange Sierra Leone in collaboration with key partners support the official launch of the LifeBlood App, which aims to increase safe voluntary blood donation in Sierra Leone, thereby increasing the stock and supply of blood products in blood banks.
The event was held on Wednesday 8th March 2023 at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) in Freetown. Addressing the ceremony, Orange-SL’s Annie Wonnie Katta said her company believes in innovation and promoting youth development, which prompted the launch of the Orange Venture Prize, which innovative activity that can solve societal problems. Sierra Leone, he said won the international grand prize that went to LifeBlood. Madam Katta thanked those who partner with the organization to reach this far. “We are committed to improving the health sector through innovative services,” she promised.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of AutoHealth, Mahmoud Idriss, said he believes that technology helps to make jobs simple and progress. “For the past seven years we have been helping businesses to improve technology,” he noted and went on to thank Orange Sierra Leone for pouring financial resources for the project to succeed. LifeBlood, he said is a community app that helps ease the management of blood and mobilizes donors in communities to help those in need of it.
The Head of National Safe Blood Services, Professor Sahr Moses Gevao revealed that there have been misconceptions on the situation at the Blood Bank. The current app, he said will help mobilize blood donors and ensure that accurate data is provided to get enough blood to be supplied to those in need. “This will help save lots of lives and make their job easy,” he said.
The Secretary of the National Voluntary Blood Donor Association, Patrick Massaquoi, said they are happy for the innovation, which is in line with the theme of this year’s celebration of International Women’s Day. He revealed that they set up the Association in 2006 but they only recognized it on Blood Donors Day. “We need training on how to cajole people to donate blood. We have formed a foundation called the Desmond Luis Blood Donors Foundation, which requires the support of the government and donor partners,” Massaquoi remarked and went on to appreciate all those who have set up the infrastructure for blood donations, and assured that they are committed to saving more lives.
Joseph D. Koroma, founder, and CEO of AutoHealth, owners of LifeBlood, assured that they will continue with the lifeblood project with the hope that they can impact lives in society. He told his audience that he was saved through a blood transfusion, which is why he has a passion for lifeBlood. “We have trained lab technicians and a data academy. We have rolled out our activities to PCMH, Rokupa, Connaught, and 34 Military hospitals. We cover 500 donors registered in our system,” Koroma said and continued that they want the blood services to be a one-stop shop, bringing together all modules to communicate data for the nation’s development and improving the health infrastructure.