The Head of Laboratory at University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), Mr. Pascal Hodogbe has issued a public call for increased voluntary blood donations, stressing that persistent shortages at the facility’s blood bank are impacting critical patient care.
Mr. Hodogbe made the call while speaking to Univers News following a free health screening and blood donation drive held on December 5, 2025, in Ayigbe Town, near UGMC, which commemorated World AIDS Day.
According to Mr. Hodogbe, the hospital’s status as a major referral center means the need for blood and blood products is constant and often overwhelming.
“Because it’s a referral hospital, and we get a lot of referrals that require blood for care, blood, and blood products for patient care. There has never been a time when we have enough blood in the blood bank. So we go out on such exercises and appeal to the public to do a free donation to help the blood bank.”
He further emphasized that voluntary blood donations directly enhance patient safety and overall healthcare delivery.
“It’s very, very important. I can assure you that tomorrow when you come to the blood bank, we don’t have blood sitting in our banks. We have to look for it for you. So encouraging the public to do voluntary donations is very crucial for patient care and management.”
The health screening and donation exercise forms part of a broader hospital initiative designed to actively encourage the public to support UGMC’s operations by becoming regular, voluntary blood donors.
The call highlights that continuous, non-remunerated donations are essential for maintaining a safe and reliable blood supply for the region’s most critical patients.
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Story by Charles Wumbe Dauda|univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Deborah Owusu
