Diplomats donate blood to soldiers

An operation for the collection of blood took place yesterday at the Embassy of the United States in Yaoundé.

Michael Hoza, Ambassador of the United States and two of his colleagues, Brian Olley of Great Britain and Kunio Okamura of Japan gathered yesterday at Rosa Parks Avenue, Yaoundé, headquarters of the American diplomatic mission.

In the midst of other employees of diplomatic missions accredited to Yaoundé, they had voluntarily collected 450 milliliters of blood for the benefit of the armed forces engaged in the war against the Boko Haram sect.

According to Dr. Célestin Ayangma, head of the laboratory of the military hospital in Yaoundé, so far, science has not yet found drugs that enables them to carry oxygen from one point to another of the body. This led to the importance of blood in a conflict area because it allows them not only to give life, but also to bring hope to those wounded in combat.

That said, since the deployment of African troops and UN in Central Africa Republic and the response of the Cameroonian and Chadian armies against the Islamist sect Boko Haram, the military hospital of Yaounde has been highly sought.

"It is the receptacle of all multiple fractured, burned or charred and wounded coming from various fronts against Boko Haram and the maintenance of peace in Central Africa. We know that soldiers most often die of anemia or cardio-circulatory because they lost a lot of blood," highlighted Dr. Abeng Mbozo’o, chief physician of the hospital.

In terms of needs, more than 100 blood bags were given for Burundi, Central African Republic, Cameroonian and Chadian military care. In a situation where blood donations are needed by family members, it is inconceivable to ask a soldier engaged at the front to bring a parent to receive a blood transfusion.

For nearly 1500 received injuries, "If there had not been a military hospital blood bank, we would have registered not less than three deaths. And none of those wounded would have been evacuated to other hospitals," confessed Dr. Abeng Mbozo'o.

With the "blood donation" operation yesterday, the military hospital officials asked that such initiatives be doubled. "Such campaigns should always be carried out to have reserves because we don't know when the enemy will strike," pleaded Dr. Abeng Mbozo'o.