The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) has marked this year’s World Blood Donor Day with a blood donation exercise at its Head office in Accra with the aim of stocking the National Blood Bank.

The exercise which was held in partnership with the National Blood Donors Association formed part of the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to especially afford its staff to give blood to help increase the numbers at the National Blood Bank.

The event held at the forecourt of the Bank’s Head office, in Accra, witnessed a turnout of more than 200 participants made up of staff and also customers of the Bank.

The Managing Director of the Bank, Dr John Kofi Mensah in a remark noted that the demand for blood outnumbered the supply hence the need to create the opportunity for more volunteers to donate.

“Available data from the National Blood Bank isn’t encouraging something we should not be happy about and so we decided to encourage our staff at the Head Office to voluntarily donate to stock the Blood Bank,” he said.

Dr Mensah said the initiative reinforces the Bank’s resolve to support the National Blood Bank in saving lives and helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3 adding that the Bank will continue to commit resources for voluntary blood donation exercises to raise awareness and increase the number of voluntary donations.

The Managing Director commended the staff and also customers who participated in the Blood donation exercise and further called on the general public to engage in such fruitful exercises.

Dr Mensah said the exercise would become an annual event in the calendar of the Bank and would be replicated in all 81 locations of the Bank in future. The National Blood Donors Association Secretary, Mr Edward Barnor, commended the Bank for the initiative and called on other corporate bodies to do same, to help the National Blood Bank save more lives.

“We have been highly impressed with the staff participation in the exercise and urge other corporate organizations to emulate the good example of ADB”, he said.