As Ghana’s health facilities grapple with a critical shortage of blood needed to treat patients with various medical conditions, including accident victims, the role of corporate organizations in bridging this gap has become increasingly vital.
The National Insurance Commission (NIC) has stepped up to address this challenge with its annual ‘Insurance Industry Blood Donation Campaign,’ which was first launched in 2021.
The campaign, a collaborative effort among key industry stakeholders, including the Ghana Insurers Association (GIA), the Insurance Brokers Association of Ghana (IBAG), The Chartered Insurance Institute of Ghana (CIIG), the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, the National Association of Ghana Insurance Agents (NAGIA), WAICA Re, and the Ghana Insurance College (GIC), has made significant strides in supporting the National Blood Service Ghana.
Since its inception, the insurance industry has been recognized as the overall best in the corporate donor category for blood donation over the last three years, contributing a total of 5,019 pints of blood.
This contribution has been instrumental in saving lives, particularly those of pregnant women, children with cancer, and accident victims.
The acting Commissioner of Insurance at the NIC, Mr. Michael Andoh, expressed his commitment to continuing this life-saving initiative.
“I have come to realize that sometimes all it takes for somebody to cross from death to life is a pint of blood,” he said in a recent interview, reflecting on the impact of the campaign.
Additionally, Mr. Andoh, humbled by the recognition received during the recent World Blood Donor Day, dedicated the award to the entire insurance industry and generous Ghanaians who have donated blood over the years.
For this year, the NIC has dedicated the month of August to its annual blood donation efforts, with the campaign set to be launched on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at the NIC Head Office in Accra.
As the 2024 campaign approaches, Mr. Andoh has called on all insurance companies, brokers, agents, and the general public to join in supporting this critical cause, emphasizing the profound impact that a single pint of blood can have in saving lives.
The NIC’s ongoing commitment to this campaign highlights the importance of corporate social responsibility in addressing national health challenges and underscores the significant role that collective efforts can play in ensuring the availability of safe blood for those in need.
Source: B&FT