The Western Regional Blood Bank has undertaken a massive blood donation exercise at the Aboadze Community Park to mark this year's World Blood Donor Day.

The celebration was to raise global awareness on the need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion and the contributions that critical voluntary and unpaid blood donors make to national health systems.

The Day also provided an opportunity to call to action, governments and national health authorities to provide adequate resources and put in place systems and infrastructures to increase the collection of blood from voluntary and non-remunerated blood donors.

The Regional Blood Donor Organizer, Mr Emmanuel Essien said throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, coupled with limited mobility and other challenges, blood donors in many countries have continued to donate blood and plasma to patients who needed a transfusion.

According to him, the extraordinary effort during a time of unprecedented crisis highlights the crucial role of well organized, committed voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors in ensuring a safe and sufficient blood supply during normal and emergency times.

This year's World Blood Donor Day theme was: "Give blood and keep the world beating".

Mr Essien said the message highlighted the essential contribution blood donors make to keep the world pulsating by saving lives and improving other's health.

He noted that the message reinforces the global call for more people all over the world to donate blood regularly and contribute to better health and added that there were a number of voluntary and unpaid regular blood donors of the Regional Blood Bank at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital who were worthy of recognition.

"Mr Kobbie Ansah Eshun, a 44-year-old 'O' Negative blood donor had donated thirty-three times. Mr Zadkiel Baisie, a 53 year old 'A' Positive blood donor had donated fifty-five times while Mr Kobina Bortsie, a 35 year old 'B' Positive blood donor had also donated 24 times", he indicated.

The Regional Blood Donor Organizer, pointed out that the life stories of these individual donors in the Region were a testimony of how an individual can live healthily despite donating blood many times.

He expressed appreciation of his outfit and the entire management and staff of the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH) to all voluntary blood donors in the Western and Western North Regions and called on the general public to donate to the Bank to save precious lives.