The Global Shapers Community, Kano, has urged Nigerians to embrace voluntary blood donation to save lives and support patients requiring urgent transfusions.

The community’s curator, Sumayya Tofa, made the call during its annual blood drive at the Kano Cancer Treatment Centre (KCTC) on Saturday.

Ms Tofa said 108 volunteers donated blood during the exercise, which attracted young people and other members of the community.

She said the blood drive, sustained for 13 years, was part of efforts to address blood shortages, particularly during medical emergencies.

According to her, beneficiaries include women with complications during pregnancy and childbirth, accident victims, people living with anaemia, and children with blood-related conditions.

Ms Tofa said the organisation also operated a blood-access initiative linking patients requiring transfusions with potential donors when relatives or friends could not provide blood.

She said the previous blood drive collected 86 units, adding that the organisation was targeting 200 units in one day.

Ms Tofa said achieving the target would require stronger support from individuals, organisations, and development partners.

She explained that all donated blood would undergo laboratory screening for infectious diseases before being stored and made available for transfusion.

The curator said Médecins Sans Frontières’ participation would further support its free medical services in Kano by helping to provide blood for patients requiring transfusions.

The chief executive officer of KCTC, Nafisa Abdu, represented by the assistant head of nursing, Umar Halliru, said prospective donors underwent three stages.

He listed the stages as pre-donation screening, blood donation, and post-donation observation.

Mr Halliru said the screening was conducted to determine whether prospective donors were healthy and fit to donate blood.

He advised donors to maintain a balanced diet containing protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, and fruits, alongside adequate water intake after donating blood.

A medical laboratory scientist at the centre, Shamsuddeen Abubakar, said blood was collected using 250-millilitre paediatric or 450-millilitre adult blood bags.

He said eligibility was determined by factors including age, vital signs, weight, previous donation history, and Packed Cell Volume (PCV).

Mr Abubakar added that donated blood was screened for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and syphilis before being accepted for use.

One of the donors, 29-year-old Mustapha Abdulwaseeq, said he participated because he regarded blood donation as an act of charity.

He said the donation could help people, whether known or unknown to him. 

(NAN)