Regular readers of this newspaper will be aware that the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital is once again seeking blood donations from the general public. The advertisement running at the moment states “The Director General of The Presidential treatment Programme and the Chief Medical Director of the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital is hereby informing the general public that there is a special blood donation unit at RVTH headed by Mr. Ebou G Sarr for the recruitment of Blood Donors.

Anyone who is interested in the safe donation of blood to patients can contact the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital on the following numbers, 9914535 – Dr. Tamsir Mbowe or 9930979 – Mr. E G Sarr, or visit the Blood Bank Unit of the Hospital in Person. The importance of this act cannot be overstated. Every day our brothers and sisters are undergoing surgery that leaves them requiring blood transfusions and if sufficient blood has not been donated then they could very easily die.

It is the duty of every responsible Gambian citizen to donate blood in order that the lives of their brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, children and grandparents, as well as neighbours and friends, can be saved. Through this act, which is painless and doesn’t take a very long time, many lives can be saved in The Gambia so we must all make the maximum effort to engage in it. There have in the past been myths regarding the safety of blood donation but these have long been debunked. Blood donation poses no threat to the person who gives blood; it only saves lives. Do what you can for your brothers and sisters by giving blood and in the process save many lives.

“Familiar acts are beautiful through love.”

Percy Bysshe Shelley