Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, the Laboratory Blood Safety Programme Manager, Institute of Human Virology, Nigerian (IHVN), has called on healthy Nigerians to donate blood voluntarily to save lives.Abubakar made the call at a blood donation drive on Thursday as part of activities marking the World Blood Donor Day on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said it was another way of encouraging blood donors, and to help improve the blood supply in Nigeria.
He said that with people that enjoy good health coming to donate blood, people who need blood can have easy access to them without having to worry.
The manager also called on the Federal Government to improve the National Health Insurance Policy to enable citizens to access healthcare services.
“If government restructures our National Health Insurance Policy, we will get better treatment from our healthcare centres.
“It will improve and strengthen our health system, and also help reduce medical tourism.
“It will also enable health workers transfuse blood without demanding for money, which will in turn save so many lives.
“We do not need to wait for emergencies before we donate blood, we must learn to donate without asking,” he said.
Mr Jackson Michael, a staff of IHVN, also said that more public awareness needed to be created to encourage people to donate blood.
He said that blood connects us all and donating is another way of serving humanity.
“You never can tell who will need the blood you are donating today, but it will surely save a life.
“I feel great donating my blood today and I will do it over again knowing that it would be saving a life someday.
“The federal government should stop healthcare workers from charging patients for blood, if we donate freely it should be transfused freely also,” he said.
Mr Victor Okoye, a staff of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that Nigerians should feel proud to donate blood knowing it would be used to save lives.
“I feel proud doing this, every time am called upon to donate blood, if my blood can save lives I will do it over and over again.
When you know your blood runs in some else’s body, it would be difficult to hurt that person, and that can help us stay together as one,’’ said Okoye.
NAN
