Take advantage of social media to sensitise people on blood donation- Expert
The President, Haima Health Initiative, Mr Ikechukwu Oloka, has urged the three tiers of government to take advantage of social media to sensitise people on importance of blood donation.
Oloka, also one of the discussants at the ongoing Social Media Week in Lagos, on Wednesday spoke on “Disruptive Healthcare Technologies, Bridging the Blood Shortage Gaps in Nigeria’’.
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Its theme is: “Healthcare Technology, Millennial and Blood Drivers in a Digital Age.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SMW is one of the world’s foremost conferences and industry news platforms for marketers.
It provides brands, agencies and technology providers with the latest insights, trends and best practices together with access to a global community of marketing decision makers.
Oloka said: “The way bad news spread on social media, I think we should take advantage of that and make good use of the platform.
“Take for instance, if someone donates blood, the blood gets to the person who needs it and the person’s life is saved.
“If this can be put on social media, people will begin to see the impact of blood donations on the life of a patient,” he said.
Oloka advised people against sending wrong and negative news about blood donations on the social media.
He said such news of people fainting after donating blood and facilities selling bloods donated were detrimental to the interest of many people that are in need of bloods.
Contributing, Ms Rory Okoli, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of TripZapp, a travel company, said people were finding it difficult to donate blood because they did not have the understanding.
“People do not understand what a blood drive is or why they should even give blood in the first place.
“They do not also understand that people lose their lives if they don’t have blood. `
“So, ones you don’t make that connection for people to understand that I am saving a life then, they are not inclined to give blood.
“This is one of the things that we miss out in the story being told whether it’s via social media or via any form of media,” she said.
Also, Dr Bodunrin Osikomaiya, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, said civilisation had paved a way
for people to donate blood.
“The internet has also helped in creating awareness to clear some of the doubts, myths and misconceptions about blood donations.
“The truth is if you donate at the appropriate quarters, your blood is definitely going to be kept at the blood bank.
“Among our generation, the problem is not the myths, the problem is not wrong information, the problem is that people do not know who will use their blood.
“So, they want to know the reason why they are donating blood,” she said.
Osikomaiya, a Consultant Hematologist and Blood Transfusion Specialist, however, said that millennial loved to donate blood in a comfortable place.
She said they loved to be treated nicely for them to come back, urging governments to take advantage of the feedbacks and use it to bridge the blood shortage gap.
The consultant haematologist said that lots of advocacy were ongoing in the state to create awareness on the importance of donating blood for those in dire need.
According to her, over a hundred religious organisations, corporate and informal organisations have so far been sensitised.
She added that about a hundred units of blood were got from some of the millennial following its new approach.
