The World Blood Donor day by the World Health Organization (WHO) is observed world wide on the 14th day of June every year and OAU was not left out. However, on Obafemi Awolowo University campus, Ile-Ife Nigeria , it was observed on the 18th day of June year 2010 by All-Nigeria United Nations Students and Youth Association (ANUNSA), Obafemi Awolowo University chapter in conjunction with World Health Organization and National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS). Blood donation by OAU students started around 10: 00 am at White House Basement and ended around 4:30pm the same day. About 71 students donated blood. Gifts were given to donors in form of glucose, malt drinks and biscuits T-shirts, hand bands and face towels to serve as motivation in the nearest future.
Speaking with campus life a donor Mr. Osowade Ebenezer Adegoke 300 level student of Economics said, ‘I think it is a privilege to save a life. A dead man can’t be able to donate blood nor save a life and it is the greatest gift you can give a person.
The Social Director of ANUNSA OAU chapter, Mr. Bala Daba asserted that, ‘Before any donation is made they check the weight of the interested donor and if lesser than 50kg, the person is not allowed to donate. More so, the blood pressure is also checked and the intending donor is refreshed before the donation is made. The sample of the blood is taken to be tested in their lab to certify that the blood is safe. We were also told that donors will be given preference should they need blood provided they can provide their donation card. It was not easy convincing students to donate because of their poor standard and low quality feeding. Many of them refused to donate because they hardly eat good food and the overwork themselves, but we tried our best’
The coordinator W.H.O. Osun State, DOCTOR AKINOLA FATIREGUN said, ‘The future of every nation depends on the capacity of its youth to take over from the older generations, the responsibility to sustain, strengthen and improve interventions for a better and healthier living for its population. In this context, it is of paramount importance to recruit and retain young voluntary non-remunerated blood donors, with the hope that this new generation of enthusiastic and motivated blood donors will form a pool that provides the safest possible blood for use in health facilities wherever and whenever it is needed. This is intended to save lives of the patients suffering from severe anaemia or bleeding, which pose a major public health problem mainly in children less than five years of age and in young mothers in our region.
Mrs. Christiana Raji from the N.B.T.S. said ‘We were invited by ANUNSA to observe World Blood Donor Day with them and also to collect blood for those who are in need in hospitals. We make blood donated from different donors available to every Nigerian in need of blood without charges. This donation is mainly for the hospitals that has victims in need of blood urgently. For instance, as we are talking now, there is a pregnant woman who is need of blood urgently and an accident victim who has lost a lot of blood and needs a donor to donate blood to him urgently.’
The ANUNSA-OAU President, Omosebi Oloruntobi, a 300 level student of the department of Economics, said, ‘The main objective of ANUNSA is to propagate the ideals of UN. We observe the World Blood Donor Day on the 18th day of June instead of on the 14th day due to some constraints. We are doing this because it is in line with the objectives of the UN to observe World Blood Donor day to donate blood to people in need. This year’s theme is “NEW BLOOD FOR THE WORLD” and the emphasis is on young donors who will willingly donate blood for people in need to save lives. In time past we have observed the World Environment Day June 5, we went round the school picking and cleaning the school environment and making the students aware about the need to conserve the environment to reduce global warning in order to make the world a better place for us.’
Afolabi Oni, OAU- Ife 08036126690
oniafolabidteacher@gmail.com
I love you aunty, shout out to you. You are just too nice. Shout out to all OAU student and wishing them success in their examination next
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