14th June, 2015
The Lagos State Majlis Khudamul Ahmadiyya group on Sunday said that it had donated nit less than 500 pints of blood in the last three years.
Mr Shuahib Badmos, the President of the group told NAN in Lagos. He said that this was usually during the celebration of the World Blood Donor Day.
NAN reports that the World Blood Donor Day is celebrated annually on July 14 across the world.
Badmos said, “For over a decade, we, the Majlis Khudamul Ahmadiyyah, Lagos state group, have been at the fore front of rendering various free and selfless-life- saving services to the public by voluntarily donating not less than 500 pints of safe and free blood.
“This selfless service is being carried out by our members to propagate the peaceful message of Islam and without discrimination in any way.
“It is our belief that the blood that was donated have been useful in saving lives due to the important nature and composition of blood,” he said.
Badmos said that the group had been partnering with public and private hospitals and recently with the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee (LSBTC) in accomplishing this task.
He, however, urged the public who were enjoying good health to always donate blood to the needy, saying less than 10 per cent of those eligible to donate blood do so every year.
Badmos listed some of the advantages inherent in donating blood to the donor to include: balanced iron level in blood and better flow of the blood in the human body.
It also helped one to get a feedback on ones blood level, he said .
He said that during the 2014 World Blood Donor Day, the Lagos State Ministry of Health gave the best Muslim organisation donor award to its group.
Ghanny Omopariola, the National South-West Vice- President of the group, said that the group had been donating blood to mankind for over a decade.
“Some people are of the notion that Muslims are violent but we are proving to the world through this project that we do not believe in shedding of blood but donating it for a greater good.
“It is high time that people understood the importance of donating blood to save lives because many lives rely on it for survival,” he said.
Mr Jide Runsewe, a health officer with LSBTC, attributed low response to blood donation to cultural beliefs.
“When you reach out to people to come out and donate blood, they feel you want to use their blood for diabolical reasons,” he said.
Runsewe said that blood collected were screened first before transfused to ascertain the health safety of the receiver of the blood.
According to him, benefactors of blood transfusion include: accident victims, pregnant women in labour, people with severe burns among others.
Mr Abdulateef Atanda, a businessman and a blood donor said that it was with a great sense of purpose he donated blood.
Atanda said that he was happy to know that he could probably be saving a life somewhere through his voluntary action.
“I am happy that I have this opportunity to donate blood for someone who really needs it. I might just be saving one life right now,” he said.
Atanda urged the public to seize the advantage that goes with donating blood adding that it brings blessings to the donor.