Rajasthan Association Ghana (RAG), a non-profit organisation has for the third consecutive time stocked the Blood Bank of the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) with 68 pints of blood.

The blood donation exercise, which is an annual event being organised by RAG is to support healthcare delivery system in Ghana.

This year's edition was organised as part of activities marking the 479th birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap Jayanti, a Hindu Rajput King of Mewar in Rajasthan, India.

The second edition of the RAG Blood Donation Camp, which was held in June, 2018 raked in 45 pints of blood for the Ridge Hospital Blood Bank. Whereas the maiden edition, which was held in May 2017, recorded 57 pints of blood at the same facility.

Membership of RAG is made up of people from Rajasthan in India, who are currently living and working in Ghana.

Rajasthan is India’s largest state by area, which is located on the Western side of the country.

Mr Yashpal Singh, RAG President, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said blood donation was life-saving and a noble course to embark upon; stating that any healthy person could donate blood.

He therefore, appealed to the public to donate more blood to help save lives.

Mr Rohitash Singh, RAG Secretary, also appealed to the public to take up the issue of blood donation very seriously to help save lives.

"People are dying because of the scarcity of blood. Our aim is to help the people in the community. We are providing the platform for people to donate blood to help save lives," he said.

"It is a noble course to donate blood to help save lives."

Mr Mohammed Mustapha Seini, Laboratory Manager, Ridge Hospital, expressed gratitude to the RAG for the kind gesture.

"We are happy for what they are doing, and we wish that other communities in Accra will do the same," he stated.

He said the Ridge Hospital as a Regional Hospital, daily needed about 30 pints of blood, adding that "but unfortunately sometimes we are not able to get even five pints a day. So if you have a group coming to give you almost 70 units in a day, it is really heartwarming".

“They are really helping us and we appreciate that."