The Calabar Municipal chapter of the National Association of Seadogs in Cross River State (Jokaina Deck) has donated 35 pints of blood to needy patients in public health institutions in Calabar. The exercise which took place on the 25th of August 2018, was carried out by the Calabar centre of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) at the chapter’s Anchor Point, attracted not less than 40 seadogs, some of whom came with their wives.
The chapter had in the twilight of the 2015-16 sayle donated 21 pints of blood to victims of the Reigners Bible Church collapse in Uyo. Another 40 pints of blood was also donated to victims of Boko Haram insurgence in 2015.
The Cap’n of Jokaina Deck, Mr. A.M Peter, who declared the exercise open, said the association was responding to need of poor patients in public who often found it difficult buying blood because of lack of money.
According to Affe, it is not the first time that the chapter will be donating blood as over 60 pints had in the past been donated to victims of a church collapse in Uyo which claimed several lives, as well as victims of Boko Haram insurgence in the North-Eastern part of the country.
He said, “We are only being proactive in responding to the plight of the vulnerable in the society. It is part of our matrix- to protect the weak. Fortunately, the present leadership of NAS at the centre has also taken advocacy campaign and humanitarian services to the society as major areas of focus. We would tow along that line. More is expected of this nature.”
Regional Vice-President of NAS in charge of Cross River, Benue and Nasarawa states, Mr. Fabian Avoh, who was also part of the exercise, said the association would during the present regime take the advocacy campaigns and humanitarian services of the association to greater heights. He, however, urged other chapters within and outside the region to carry out similar projects aimed at impacting on the lives of the indigents.
Also, a former regional vice-president, Mr. Dan Ebri, who was also part of the donors, urged seadogs to always show interest whenever advocacy programmes of this nature were carried out.
He further challenged other non-governmental organisations to show interest in carrying out programmes that would alleviate the sufferings of the masses.
Meanwhile, Coordinator of the Calabar centre of NBTS, Prof. Wilfred Ndifon, said blood donation improves the looks and general well-being of donors as well as protects them from stroke, cancer, heart attack and several other ailments.
Ndifon, a don in the College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, further said that blood donation equally enables donors to save the lives of needy patients.
The don, who led his team to the Anchor Point for the exercise, disclosed that he has neither had malaria nor headache for two years because he donates blood regularly.
He said, “I am the highest blood donor in Cross River State. I have donated blood nineteen times. I donate blood four times a year. In 2016, I donated blood five times. My workers are here. They can confirm. They said I donated too much and that I should stop. They said it would affect my health. But I told them that it is my blood.
“I have not had malaria for two years. No headache. I don’t even take pain relief drugs. I was asking my wife ‘what’s happening? I’m so healthy!’ I said ‘okay, it’s because I have been donating blood’. It’s as if I am in the United States of America or United Kingdom.”
In all, a total of 35 pints of blood was donated by Seadogs in the Calabar Municipal chapter of NAS (Jokaina Deck).
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