The Grace Baptist Church, Amakom in Kumasi, in collaboration with Kumasi South Hospital, has organised a blood donation exercise to stock the Ashanti Regional Blood Bank.

The initiative spearheaded by the Community and Social Action Committee of the Church included free screening exercises of the Eye, Ear Nose and Throat for residents of Amakom and its environs.

Deacon Kontoh Banahene, Chairman of the Committee, who spoke with Ghana News Agency (GNA) said the event tied in with Church’s observation of December as a month of giving.

“Since December is observed as a month of giving for the Church, we decided to give back to the community to help save our brothers and sisters in need of blood,” he explained.

He said the blood bank always need to be replenished to ensure that there is enough stock of blood to respond to emergencies and save lives before during and after the Christmas festivities.

About 100 pints of blood is expected to be donated by the public after the exercise, and this would be stored at the Kumasi South Hospital and the Regional Hospital.

The Chairman thanked the sponsors including First Allied Savings and Loans, Gold Coast Securities, Grace Baptist Credit Union, Tobinco Pharmaceuticals and the Nwabiagya Rural Bank.

Dr Kinsley Osei-Kwakye, Public Health Physician at Manhyia and a member of the Committee, called on Ghanaians to make it a point to donate blood when the need arise.

He said pregnant women who are likely to lose blood during labour, children under five years, and accident victims are the most vulnerable to be transfused and there is no better time to donate blood as the yuletide gets closer.