A Life Blood App has been launched by officials of Orange Sierra Leone (OSL) and Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) to ensure lives are saved. The new app is a means of digital blood storage so that it can be easily accessible by those in need. The project will also encourage Sierra Leoneans to donate blood to health facilities. The launching took place yesterday 8th March, 2023 at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) in Freetown.
The Digital blood banks will be available at Connaught, PCMH, 34 Military and Rokupa Government hospitals for use by those in need. A single pint of blood can save three lives, health experts say. Before now, patients die in hospitals owing to the acute shortage of blood, but the sad narrative would be changed under the new project.
Head of Public Relations, Annie Wonnie Katta represented OSL at the ceremony. OSL is one of Sierra Leone’s leading telecoms service provider. Speaking at the launching, katta said the Blood Bank project had its origin to the Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP) which started in Sierra Leone in 2022. Founder of the Blood Bank project, Joseph Koroma was exposed at the international stage by OSL, and picked up right from there.
Today, a great many Sierra Leoneans stand to benefit from his innovation. OSVP, Annie says, is about identifying talents and encouraging entrepreneurship for national development. It is organised locally and local winners proceed to the international platform to compete with others from other countries.
The OSL Public Relations Officer said Koroma of Sierra Leone emerged winner last year out of 17 countries, a title that made Sierra Leone proud. It was the first time for a Sierra Leonean to clinch a noble award for the country. Annie therefore called on partners to work together to enhance digital innovation. “We are ready to work with partners who are ready to to push digital innovation forward,” she assured.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Mohamed Kabba described the digital Life Blood project as a novelty in the world of medicine. Technology, he went on, was needed to deliver health services to the people, and that it was needed to predict and plan properly. He assured that they would work hard to ensure that those in need the health service get it.
The CMO however called for partnership so that project objectives could be realised. “Teaming up with colleagues in the new digital project is the way forward,” he suggested. The medical world, he says, is moving towards digitisation and assures that all health facilities get the new app.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Auto Health, Mahmoud Idris said the Life Blood project was relevant to the current health challenges and that technology made work easy. “We have been working hard to ensure sound health services for citizens. At one meeting, we presented the Life Blood app which must be taken to all health facilities across the country,” he narrated.
The project, Mahmoud says, is about mobilising the community to ensure that blood is available in all health facilities in the country. The move for the project to be known by all and sundry was an assurance the Auto Health CEO made to the people of Sierra Leone. “We will ensure that people know where to donate and receive blood,” he assured.
Founder and CEO, Life Blood said the project was a long journey from where it began and where it had been. Koroma rules out complacency since there is more work to be done for the project to save and better the lives of Sierra Leoneans. “There is still more work, and we will continue to work so that we can impact lives in Sierra. Leone,” he assured.
One of the grratest strategies to be employed, according to Koroma, is the training of laboratory technicians and other health professionals across the country to use the new app to collect and store blood. The Life Blood project is a real opportunity for Sierra Leoneans, and will also influence global practice. Concern World Wide, an international humanitarian organisation also sees the project as one that tackles a burning societal issue through blood digitisation. The agency is ready to support the project for the benefit of Sierra Leoneans.
This is not the first time an OSL OSVP competitor has benefitted Sierra Leoneans. A number of those who have taken part in OSVP competitions have come out great personalities in society in their different walks of life.