Students of Osun State University have donated 1,000 pints of blood in a life-saving initiative aimed at supporting healthcare services across the state.
The donation drive was organised by the university’s Sustainable Development Solution group in collaboration with the Osun State University Medical Students Association and supported by the National Blood Agency. Held at Freedom Park in Osogbo on Friday, the campaign attracted 1,000 volunteer donors from the city.
Convener of the Osun Donate campaign and president of UNIOSUN SDG Sustainable Solution, Motadegbe Adeyemo, said the idea for the project was born after a leukaemia patient lost their life due to an inadequate blood supply. The patient needed 24 pints but only received 12, a moment Adeyemo described as a wake-up call for action.
He noted that although over 450 seats had already been filled at the venue, the target was to reach 1,000 donors to support the healthcare system. He added that the group hopes to make the event a regular occurrence, possibly holding it two to three times a year. “This is students coming together to say we want to make a difference. This is our way of contributing to the health sector,” he said.
Deputy Director of Medical Laboratory Services, Yetunde Aborishade, used the occasion to dispel myths surrounding blood donation. She explained that many people wrongly associate blood donation with harm, while in reality, it offers health benefits to the donor.
Aborishade highlighted that patients with cancer and other serious conditions rely on blood transfusions, and encouraged more public participation in donation efforts. She also pointed out that donors benefit from free health screenings as part of the process.
