The MTN Ghana Foundation and Ecobank Ghana have embarked on a joint initiative to collect 700 pints of blood from donation centres in Accra, Kumasi, Shama, Takoradi and Tamale to be distributed to the National Blood Bank and major hospitals.

The blood donation exercise is dubbed “Save a Life Campaign.”

Mrs Cynthia Lumor, the Corporate Services Executive, said the exercise, in its 6th edition, has generated over 1,000 pints of blood that have since been distributed to the major health facilities across the country.

“Last year, through the concerted effort of donors, we were able to collect 625 pints of blood across the country, exceeding our 2014 target by 125 pints,” she added.

She appreciated the commitment of Ecobank to the all important exercise and said the company looked forward to a more collaborative effort in future projects.

Mrs Lumor said the World Health Organisation indicated that voluntary blood donation was the best and safest means of collecting blood, but according to the National Blood Service, in Ghana. only 35 per cent of the blood needed for health care was received through voluntary means.

She said in the quest to save lives, the exercise could also contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 targets to reduce child and maternal mortality by 2015.

“We will also be able to achieve the World Health Organisation’s goal for all countries to obtain 100 per cent voluntary unpaid blood donation by 2020,” she said.

The Corporate Service Executive appealed to Ghanaians, who are in good health to donate blood to save lives.

She said “the tears of a mother cannot save her child but your blood can save a life, blood can never be manufactured.”

Reverend Mrs Patricia Sappor, Head of Communications and Public Relations, Ecobank said the bank was committed in supporting the health sector in various forms.

She said blood donation was critical in stocking the country’s blood bank as it provided an urgent and essential lifeline to those in need.

She said lives have been lost due to non-availability of blood at critical moments, which was heart breaking.

Mrs Sappor said the exercise the bank was partnering, directly relates to the Ecobank’s mission to contribute to the development of Africa and that could not be done without first attending to the health needs of its people.

“Ecobank is, therefore, proud to be associated with this Godly venture of saving lives through blood donation,” she added.

She said there was no substitute for human blood and an activity such as the donation was in the right direction, since it was a noble way of saving lives.

She commended MTN Ghana for the laudable initiative and expressed the desire of the bank in partnering the company to embark on this life saving activity.

MTN Ghana Foundation instituted the annual blood donation exercise in 2011 and was adjudged the Highest Corporate Blood Donor by the National Blood Bank in 2013. In 2014, the Foundation received the award for second highest Corporate Blood Donor.