A 21-year-old girl died on Saturday after the Ashongman Community Hospital in Accra refused to give her blood, even though she is a blood donor.
According to Adolf Lawson, father of the level 300 student of the Catholic University, doctors at the Ghana Atomic Energy Hospital, where his daughter was on admission, directed him to the Ashongman Community Hospital to purchase blood for his sick daughter, since they did not have the essential fluid at their facility.
He said he went to the Ashongman community hospital with his daughter’s blood donation card, in the hope that the body fluid will be given to him at a reduced cost, but that was not the case.
“The Atomic hospital officials told me to go to the Ashongman community hospital for the blood since they did not have it. I then decided to go with my daughter’s blood donation card and my own card as well, since some privileges are extended to donors who are in need of blood. I got to the hospital and the lab technician told me that he could not reduce the blood cost of GHc340 even though I was a donor. But I did not have that much on me,” the distressed father told StarrFMonline.com Monday.
He continued: “I begged the young man and even showed him proof that I have donated blood at their facility before, but he still insisted that until I am able to afford the cost, he cannot give me the blood. He subsequently directed me to the Amasaman hospital. I got there and there was no blood. I decided to go to the Achimota hospital where by the grace of God, I was able to procure the blood at a reduced rate of GHc120 because I showed them the blood donation cards. Unfortunately, when I returned to the Atomic Energy hospital my daughter had died.”
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager for the Ashongman Community Hospital, Storms Wells, admitted that the hospital could not give the deceased’s father the needed blood because he could not afford it.
“It is true; he was here with the blood donation cards and requested that we gave him the blood for free, on the account that he was a donor. But the truth is, we do not give blood on that account. We purchase the blood from the blood bank and so we do not give it out for free,” he recounted.
Meanwhile, the director of the national blood bank, Stephen Addai, who expressed regret over the incident, told StarrFmonline.com that all efforts should have been made by the Ashongman Community Hospital to assist the father of the girl, regardless of his financial status, since he is a donor.
"As a rule, priority is given to blood donors. Even though the product cannot be given for free, donors are given a special privilege. And in this case, the hospital should have provided the needed assistance to the father; it’s unfortunate that this had to happen”.
Source: StarrFmonline
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So they are doing business with our blood. This is very sad.
A very sad and an unfortunate situation. Someone must be held responsible and account for the death of the girl. If the hospital new they were not going to give the blood, why didn't they refer her to a different hospital but rather decided to keep her till death. There is a clear indication here that, the hospital authorities were only interested in the money and not the life of the poor girl. And people can not continue to go scot free for their negligence of duty and wickedness. God save Ghana.
Heartless and callous human beings. Blood was donated free and when the donor needed, you refused. Can't imagine what we are turning GHANA into. Found myself in a similar situation years ago in Nigeria; was even not a donor but was assisted even without a deposit. That kind gesture saved a life. GHANA SHAME, GHANA SHAME AND SHAME. Heartless in everything, from politics to hospital wards. Hummmmmm GHANA
These are callous health workers who deliberately precipitated the death of the poor girl. Can they resurrect the girl now? She is gone forever, just because some wicked people decided to apply a rule that has no human flavour. What message are they sending to dedicated donors by their action? I hope the Ghana Health Service can do something about this issue and mete out some sanctions against these health workers.
ppl donate freely and u sell it high cost. how can one donate again
Hmmm, i recalled the day i have to give out two (2) pants of blood before a half sister of mine was given just a pant of blood though i am a donor myself simple because my half sister's blood and mine were not compatible.How on earth should this happened even if she was not a donor. I urge the appropriate authority to look into this.
You see, issues like this are very disturbing and does not encourage voluntary blood donation at all. Was the hospital not aware of the privileges to the blood Donner??
This is absolute ***barred word***! I am furious. The Doctor who came to justify what the gentleman and the Lab did should bow down his head in shame and if possible should be sanctioned. You ask the general public to come and donate blood freely ion other to save lives just like this young lady. Through your greediness you left this poor and innocent to die and all that you can say is it's unfortunate. Next time we would come and donate blood for you bunch of greedy bastards to sell for money
ALL YOU CAN SAY IS UNFORTUNATE RIGHT? GOD IS OUR JURGE. YOU GO ROUND ASKING PEOPLE TO DONATE BLOOD FREE TO CARE FOR PEOPLE LIKE THIS INOCENT GIRL ONLY FOR YOU TO DEMAND MONEY BEFORE SAVING LIFE YOOOOOOOOO