Students of Osun State University have donated 1,000 pints of blood to boost the state’s healthcare system, in a collaborative initiative aimed at saving lives.
The donation drive, organised by the university’s Sustainable Development Solution group in partnership with the Osun State University Medical Students Association, was supported by the National Blood Agency.
The event, held at Freedom Park, Osogbo on Friday, successfully recruited 1,000 blood donors from the city.
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Speaking during the event, the convener of the Osun Donate campaign and president of UNIOSUN SDG Sustainable Solution, Motadegbe Adeyemo, said the initiative was inspired by the tragic loss of a leukaemia patient who needed 24 pints of blood but could only secure 12.
He described the experience as a turning point that prompted the students to take action and help bridge the critical gap in blood supply across health facilities in the state.
He said, “We have over 450 seats already occupied but our target is 1,000 free blood donors to boast the healthcare services.
“We should be able to make this event a norm at least twice or thrice a year, but you know, there is a lot that goes into this. What you see here is students coming together to say we wanna make this happen. This is us doing what we can do to contribute to the health sector.”
Also, Deputy Director Medical Laboratory staff, Yetunde Aborishade, explained that “When we tell people to donate, they will think it’s a suicide, but we want to sensitise them and make them understand that blood donation is beneficial to them.
“We have a lot of people like cancer patients that need blood in the hospitals, and even you, who are donating, will also have the opportunity to benefit from the free tests.”