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Gambia: SCB Gambia spearheads blood donation campaign

Standard Chartered Bank has responded to RVTH’s appeal for blood donation by organising a two-day event that will see the hospital’s depleted supply of blood for patients rejuvenated.
The blood donation exercise will be carried out at the Bank’s head office in Banjul on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th May 2007 from 9.30am to 4pm. This initiative was advocated  by the staff of Standard Chartered Bank Gambia and it will be open to the general public.
Commenting on the programme, Cynthia Mpanga the Corporate Affairs Manager, Standard Chartered Bank Gambia said: "It is unfortunate that some patients in The Gambia lack blood when their condition can be easily reversed. As staff of Standard Chartered Bank, we felt we could do something to make a difference in the lives of our colleagues who are less fortunate. Donating blood is a humanitarian act that doesn’t require finances but a willingness and desire to help others. We are therefore, encouraging other companies and the general public to join us in these two days to donate blood and save more lives."

According to statistics from RVTH, 90 per cent of maternal death annually occurs due to Post Partum Haemorrhage (PPH) and Acute Partum Haemorrhage (APH). 9 per cent of people, die annually in the medicine unit, due to severe anaemia and severe malaria while 5 per cent of deaths that occur in the paediatric ward is due to  severe malaria and severe anaemia; and 2 per cent of deaths occur in the surgery unit annually due to severe anaemia.
These are all tragic statistics of people losing their lives due to the lack of blood. This trend can be reversed if we join hands and donate blood to RVTH. Standard Chartered has risen up to the occasion to put a stop to this unnecessary loss of life. Join us in the struggle.