Assis North Assembly honours blood donor

05/08/08
Story: Salome Donkor
For the past three decades, Mr Jonny de-Graft Baiden, 49, has consistently donated blood every quarter to various hospitals in the country.
Mr Baiden who works at the Statistics Department of the St Francis Xavier District Hospital at Assin Fosu, started donating blood in 1977, when he was in secondary school.
In recognition of his immense contribution to saving people’s lives, especially that of expectant mothers, the Assin North District Assembly has honoured him to show appreciation for his donations.
A citation signed by the District Chief Executive, Mr K. Karikari Apau, presented to him read in part “Your willingness to donate blood any time you are requested to do so is unparalleled and highly commendable.”
It said “your dedication and commitment to fighting maternal death puts you on a high pedestal as a noble individual contributor to the development of the district and to show our appreciation, we honour you on the occasion of Ghana’s Golden Jubilee celebration”.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra, Mr Baiden said he began voluntary blood donation when he visited his mother at the former Food Production Unit in Accra and heard that the Korle Bu Blood Bank had run short of blood.
“I went to donate blood voluntarily and since then I have donated blood over 100 times” he said, adding that he does that every quarter.
He said he had a national award in 2003 and that apart from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, he had also donated blood to the Cape Coast Regional Hospital, Fynnba Clinic at Mankesim, as well as hospitals in Assin Fosu and Axim.
He said he belonged to the “O Negative” blood group and is consulted regularly to donate blood whenever there is an emergency.
He said the last time he donated blood was on March 15, this year after which health officials advised him to stop donating blood because of his age.