By Isatou Sarr
The National Blood Transfusion Centre (NBTC) has called on Gambians to embrace voluntary blood donation, warning that inadequate supplies continue to threaten the lives of mothers, children and accident victims.
The appeal was made on Saturday during a blood donation drive organized by Join Hands 2 Save a Baby at the NBTC Centre in Farato.
Speaking at the event, Yerro Bah, Regional Health Director for Western 2, said some patients had died because blood was unavailable despite the presence of qualified medical personnel.
“In recent years, we have lost children, mothers and accident victims, not because we don’t have quality doctors, but because we don’t have blood,” Bah said.
He stressed that blood could not be manufactured or purchased like ordinary commodities, making voluntary donations essential to maintaining adequate supplies.
“One unit you donate today can save three lives: a mother, a child and a trauma victim,” he remarked.
Bah said that if just one per cent of the population in the West Coast Region donated blood, health facilities would be better positioned to meet patients’ needs.
He urged residents to become regular donors who could be contacted whenever hospitals required blood.
Saikou BM Njie, representing the Alkalo of Farato, described the initiative as timely, noting that pregnant women and babies were particularly vulnerable when blood was unavailable.
“We don’t want to get to a point where we will lose lives due to a lack of blood,” he said.
Modou Lamin Baldeh, representing the Village Development Committee, also commended the initiative and called for greater community participation in supporting healthcare facilities.
He described blood donation as a noble act of sacrifice that could make a significant difference in saving lives.
Mariama Jammeh, Programme Manager at the NBTC, said the initiative supported the centre’s mission of ensuring safe and timely access to blood for patients.
She explained that donated blood was screened to help ensure its safety and urged the public to move away from dependence on family replacement donations towards a sustainable system based on voluntary, unpaid donors.
Jammeh said maternal health cases accounted for a significant proportion of blood use, while road traffic accidents further highlighted the need for readily available supplies.
“This centre cannot function without the support of Gambians because we don’t manufacture blood. We need people to donate blood so it can be stored,” she said.
Representing Join Hands 2 Save a Baby, Abdoulie Jarjue reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting vulnerable people and strengthening healthcare services.
He said the organisation launched its blood donation project five years ago and had since renovated several hospitals and donated medical equipment across the country.
“We are here for women in maternity units. We have been doing this, and we will continue to do this to help patients,” Jarjue said.
He urged eligible Gambians to donate blood voluntarily, describing the practice as a simple but potentially life-saving act.
Jarjue added that donors could also learn their blood groups and receive information about their health through the screening process.
The organisers said the initiative was intended to raise public awareness about the importance of voluntary blood donation and encourage communities to help maintain adequate supplies for patients in need.