The exercise, which was supervised by medical staff from the Saltpond Municipal Hospital formed part of activities to mark this year’s MasterCard Foundation and AIMS Ghana Annual Day of Service at giving back to community.

Mrs Beauty Beatrice Kwawu, the Programme Officer for the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme at AIMS Ghana, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that in 2014, AIMS partnered with the MasterCard Foundation to support 30 percent of its students for the period of five years (2014 to 2019).

The MasterCard Foundation Scholars at AIMS are selected based on academic excellence, leadership potential and commitment to give back to their communities, hence the exercise was to give back and lead positive transformation of their communities.

She said there was the need for Blood Banks of health facilities to have adequate blood in place for prompt supply, particularly for women with pregnancy complications, accident victims and people with various critical heath conditions.

Mrs Kwawu mentioned other activities of the Annual Day of Service to include visits to some selected Senior High Schools within the Municipality to encourage students to develop and pursue careers in mathematics and science.

Ms Agnes Adjoa Anyomi, a donor, told the GNA that she was motivated to donate blood to save lives because she had heard of friends and loved ones who were involved in accidents and died in the hospital as a result of shortage of blood for transfusion.

She encouraged all to help save the lives of people who might be in critical conditions in hospitals by voluntarily donating blood, adding that, the exercise was easy, less painful and without side effects.

A total of 25 pints of blood was realised at the end of the exercise.