Blood Donor day: Donating Blood Promotes Well-being – Surgeon

A renowned Nigerian Surgeon based in the United Kingdom, Dr. Umar Jibrin has called on Nigerians who are able and healthy to participate in the voluntary donation of blood to mark the ‘World Blood Donors Day’, which is celebrated on the 14th of June annually.

Dr. Jibrin made the call in an interview with Voice of Nigeria reporters, where he explained the importance of the day and it’s significance to the entire globe.

He said “this is a very important hallmark in the delivery of Healthcare systems particularly in the most underdeveloped parts of Africa in regards to blood donation.

The UK based Surgeon said donating blood voluntarily must be encouraged and commended especially in Nigeria where many cannot afford to pay for blood. “Donating blood without financial compensation is a very welcome idea because it helps people who constantly need blood either from trauma or other health issues, it saves lives and promotes wellbeing. As such, it is important that everyone that is able, healthy and within the right age bracket of 16 to 65 years of age to be able and willing to donate blood in order ensure that people in emergency situations, horrendous accidents, or new born babies with blood discrepancies or old people will have easy access to blood and will help promote life enormously”.

Dr. Jibrin said even though it is very important to donate, not everyone is eligible to donate blood, explaining that children and old people are exempted. He noted that people with cancer, kidney diseases, HIV and infectious diseases are also exempted from blood donation.

He explained further that no diet is required before, during or after the blood donation process. “You don’t need any particular diet in order to give out blood especially if you are healthy and active, and even after the blood donation process one should be able to carry on with their normal lives.”

Elucidating further, he said volunteers should ideally donate one pint of blood in every 6 months, while also stressing on the need for the necessary health authorities to ensure the blood donor has no infective elements, communicative or transmissive diseases or cancerous elements in the blood before donating.

While responding to questions about his availability to serve his fatherland if appointed or given the opportunity to do so, the Surgical Registrar at Lister General Hospital UK said he would gladly accept such an offer in order to serve his nation, further regarding it as a debt to his countrymen.

He said “it will be an avenue that will provide me the maximum opportunity to serve my country and people, and to give back all the wealth of Knowledge I have acquired abroad to my countrymen. Infact, I consider it as a debt I owe Nigeria and Nigerians to serve diligently and relentlessly and give back to the people that raised me up and provided me with all the opportunities to be what I am today.“I will be more than happy to pour out all the knowledge I’ve learned from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany within a very short time, and I hope to propagate knowledge, experience, education and the services to my people in Nigeria If I get the opportunity to contribute my own quota to the development of our dear nation and it’s people.

“I will be very interested in opening up a forum either digitally or directly to help the various institutions in Nigeria and to be a Liason Officer between my country and the most developed part of the world to give the necessary information and guidance to help”

Dr. Umar Jibrin is the Chairman/CEO of Rabi Medical. He is a Consultant Surgeon and Managing Director at Barking Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust in Ramford Essex, United Kingdom.

A graduate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria with double honors and also a graduate of The Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland. He remains a seasoned professional respected well throughout Europe with experience as Surgical Registrar at Lister General Hospital, Chief Medical Administrator at Newham General Hospital and Registrar General and Vascular Registrar at University College Hospital, Galway, Ireland.