In the year 1966, something happened in Lagos that saved the life of a sick child.It was an appreciable act that has now grown like mustard seed that would again save many lives.
The story behind this development begins in 1966 during the Nigerian civil war when young Felix fell sick and almost died if not for sheer providence- He got blood transfusion which was his last saving grace and it came from two strong-willed nurses at the hospital he was admitted. They saved his life by donating their blood.
Today, young Felix as he then was is out to save lives. And in doing this, he had gathered his friends and well wishes to launch a N5million blood bank in two government-owned general hospital in Delta State.
Likely, the first blood bank set up in the USA came to being after a major catastrophe. In the USA in the 1930s and 1940s the interest in blood transfusions and blood banking increased dramatically in the medical field.
This was because during and after World War II, American doctors abroad on the front line saw the effectiveness of blood transfusions firsthand. When they returned home, they pushed for an efficient system of blood banking and transfusions for their own patients.
The first U.S. blood bank was established in Chicago's Cook County Hospital in 1937 by Bernard Fantus, who opened a facility that was able to save and store donated blood. In the following years, blood banks began to open up all over the USA; initially in San Francisco at the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank and also in Miami and New York. Soon after in 1940, the U.S. government implemented a nationwide program to collect blood
The precedent-setting story of how the USA blood banks started and spread to communities is what Felix Ofou wants to replicate in the state government-owned hospital, motivated by his experience of how blood donor had saved his life.
Ofou, a Senior Media Assistant to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan told our correspondent in a chat that his early childhood experience has motivated him towards establishing the blood banks in Isoko area of the oil rich state.
Prior to this, the General Hospital have no blood bank, a development which may have led to the death of some patients who may have needed blood to survive ailment that required blood transfusion.
Ofou who is embarking on the project in partnership with the Rotary International, Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, want friends, well wishes to be counted in the project. That is his birthday wishes on 3rd March, 2012.
He said that instead of throwing a lavish party to mark his birthday he has decided to partner with Rotary International, Ozoro and friends to raise N5m naira to save lives. He noted that considering the number of lives lost as a result of lack of blood banks in the two councils hospitals, he is standing to be counted as blood donor come March 3rd. Besides this, Ofou believes that donating blood at least once annually keep one free from high blood pressure.
He tells the story: “The background to this passion began way back in 1966 during the Nigerian civil war. I was very sick and malnourished. All was as a result of the circumstances surrounding my birth, I was the sixth child. After my birth my mum will strap me on her back and went about hawking fishes round Lagos. Then I became very sick. I was so sick that everybody thought I was going to die as there was no attention”.
“So I was left to my fate after the doctor discovered that I was short of blood and that I needed a donor. This was after about two weeks; and I was just three years old then. As you are aware blood bank in the 60s were almost impossible. Where it is available, it was clearly a reserve for the rich and wealthy in the society”.
“As you are aware blood bank in the 60s were almost impossible. Where it is available, it was clearly a reserve for the rich and wealthy in the society”. “Close relatives who were approached to donate blood declined for reasons I may never know as I was barely three years old. But something very significant happened. Two nurses; one from Yoruba and the other of Akwa Ibom or a Cross River rescued from the shackle of death.
So the two nurses on duty came forward and volunteered to do the impossible. “You won’t believe that after they donated blood I didn’t spend more than a week before I was discharged”.
“Based on that, I have always had it in my mind to make move toward this project. Until I came to Delta State in 2007, as a practicing journalist and an editor in Lagos State, those who were close to me knew that I donated blood regularly. I simply goes to the general hospital and donate blood as a free donor. There were some years I donated blood twice. I took it upon myself that one way I can give back to the society is by donating blood.
“In 2007 when I was involved in that tragic accident I broke all my ribs, my lungs were parking up and blood drained from my chest cavity was over four and half buckets. I was bleeding internally. The stitches on my eye today were as a result of that accident as I was also bleeding from my eyes. But in all that experience, not once did the doctor say we need to transfuse blood. I lost so much blood; in fact doctors at University of Benin Teaching Hospital said I had 95 percent chest damage”.
Yet not once was blood transfused, he said, adding “when I flash back to what happened to me in the 60s and the accident of year 2007, the only answer I have got is the fact that God miraculously and spiritually transfuse what I was donating back into my body. I was in coma for two weeks, and for that period not once did they transfuse blood into my body”.
“I saw this as God giving me back my life in return for what I have done, because I know that many people who were in the throes of death were revived through the blood that I have donated. I just saw that God was rewarding me. Since year 2007 I have not gone to donate blood as I have to recover fully, but this year it dawned me that I have to return to that path and resume blood donation as usual”.
Significantly, he reveals that, “Before my accident I have never been diagnosed with high blood pressure, but I have realized that since I stopped donating blood my BP has shoot up since. I have asked a few doctors and they said if I can resume donation of blood that I will just find the BP disappearing. “More importantly, is the fact that Isoko nation (in Delta State) where I hail from that is made up of two local government areas, the two general hospitals there do not have a blood bank. I was told that sometimes children have to be rushed to as far as either Warri or Benin for blood, because the private hospital that has it is very exorbitant”.
“I just imagined how many children and pregnant women in particular would have died at the point of delivery due to lack of blood. So, I felt if there is nothing else I should do than how best to mobilize those around me towards building blood bank as my birthday present. I am not interested in any party this year. I am not interested in cakes or cards, my interest is in getting people to donate blood and then build a blood bank to save lives”.
The media consultant said the project, which is going to cost us about N5million will enable him build the structures that will house the blood banks.
“At the same time the issue of epileptic power supply will be tackled as you cannot rely on either PHCN or generator as it has to be on for 24 hours. I have been advised to have an inverter, which is very expensive to acquire; such that when public power supply goes off the inverter will come on”.
Further more, he said that he is hoping on raising the sum from friends from all over the world to make this a reality. “My friends have never disappointed me. They have showed their love to me in several ways. I can tell you that when I was in coma at UBTH in 2007, before the state government came to my rescue, friends who heard of the terrible accident have raised N2million for me. If they could do that while I was in coma, then they would do better now as I am strong and alive”.
Asked why government is not equipping the hospitals instead of individual efforts, Ofou said, “If government embarks on this project it won’t work because of the stigmatization attached to the issue of blood transfusion”.
He said the shocking side to it is that the locals view blood donations from both the psychological and spiritual aspects. “It serves a better purpose if one of their own is pioneering it; it becomes more acceptable and well utilized. It is will be better appreciated from individuals as we will also go down to the grassroots to create the much needed awareness that will enable them make use of it, and even donate as well.
Interestingly, Rotary Club of Ozoro is partnering with us. They showed interest as soon as they got the wind that I am involved in the project. Campaign is part of the project that the Rotary club has taken up to properly sensitize the grassroots. That is the beauty of the private participation instead of leaving it with government.
And don’t forget that Delta State has 25 local governments and three tertiary health institutions in the state, if the state decide to build in Isoko land, then it should be prepared to build in all other parts of the state. We are participating as stakeholders of this state, because if individuals take up these kinds of project, more funds will be left for government to take care of other critical development that citizen of the state needs.”
However, the state government has embarked an elaborate independent power plant that will provide 24 hours electricity to the people of the state. He is of the firm belief that the electricity project will be completed before the end of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s tenure to drive the project.
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