Medical drone delivery giant, Zipline, in partnership with Franklyn Medical Service and the National Blood Service, has embarked on a blood drive within the Labone Community of Accra.
The initiative, which forms part of Zipline’s Corporate Social Responsibility, is to stock the National Blood Bank with adequate blood for emergency delivery services.
The National Blood Service in recent publications has sadly reminded that, the country risks losing vital human resources to the shortage of blood in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The service has since appealed to corporate entities to take up the challenge and organize blood screening activities nationwide.
Zipline has, for the past two years, championed the donation of blood from across all four of its distribution centres in the country.
Through its blood donation related activities, the company has been able to source over 3000 units of blood and expended in excess of one-hundred thousand Ghana cedis for blood donation and related activities this year alone.
Donors at the event went through a screening process and were presented with assorted breakfast packages donated by Zipline.
The community lead of Zipline – Omenako centre, Shemau Muniru, says Zipline acknowledges the gravity of the challenges the shortage of blood in the blood banks pose to the health needs of the country in this disruptive period. It is for this reason that the company has resolved to continue to support the blood service by organizing series of blood donation events in order for the service to achieve its daily supply of 250 units of blood to health to various health facilities.
“Beginning the year 2021, we made the decision as a socially responsible organization to have the various distribution centres undertake at least six blood donation exercises for each quarter as our commitment to help resolve the blood situation in the country. Currently, we have been able to add over 3000 units of blood to the blood bank since the blood drive began. Ours is a health-based service delivery company and therefore we understand the essence of blood in emergency situations and we are committed to ensuring that we have enough blood to transport when orders are made,” she said.
On her part, the Principal Executive in charge of Clinical Services at the Franklyn Memorial Centre, Dr. Mawusi Kemetse, said it was a great privilege to partner with Zipline Ghana to organize the Blood Donation exercise.
She noted that Zipline’s reputation in making medical supply accessible to remote areas makes them a good partner for this exercise. She encouraged persons who have misgivings about blood donation to bury their doubts and help the service with enough blood.
“Indeed, people have various concerns about blood donation, but it is a very safe process because the important medical screening is done to ensure donations are made with utmost care. We recognize Zipline’s effort in the transportation of blood and medical essentials to rural communities, and so our partnership with the company is to get more blood for communities that need them through the National blood Service”.
This year alone, Zipline Ghana has undertaken over 40 blood donation drives in line with the company’s social policy on health.
