An Abuja based medical practitioner, Dr Chioma Ofoekii, has advised that donation of blood should be done only when the donor is medically fit.
Ofoekii gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
“For an elective case, the patient is asked to provide willing blood donors. Most times, relatives and friends are the usual donors, and they will donate at no cost.
“However, every potential blood donor must undergo some basic blood screening exercise to ascertain that the donor is healthy and free from certain diseases.
“In life – threatening conditions patients, who need blood are transfused with blood from the blood bank whether they provide donors or not. When they become stable they are then asked to provide donors to replace the blood used.
“That way, there can be enough blood for other emergencies,” Ofoekii said.
She, however, noted that some donors took advantage of the situation and made blood donation a money making venture.
“In each of these cases, the patient has to pay for screening of any of the new donors.
“The issue of making money through blood donation thus becomes a social and moral problem, which can be addressed through health education and public enlightenment.
“The World Blood Donor Day is a global public health campaign marked by the WHO on June 14 annually, to raise awareness on the need for safe blood and blood products, and encourage people to voluntarily donate to save more lives.
“Transfusion of blood and blood products help to save millions of lives yearly.
“Access to safe and sufficient blood and blood products can help reduce rates of death and disability especially due to severe bleeding during and after delivery and following physical trauma,” she said.
Ofoekii enjoined the public to help save lives when called upon.
“We are thus encouraged to key into the voluntary blood donation exercise, not just on the June 14, but as long as we are medically fit.
“A healthy person can donate up to three times a year,” She said.
