Before anybody donates blood, a health worker is bound by law to seek a donor consent by asking the donor to sign a consent form. In the extraction process, a person can have infections through venipuncture which is purely invasive.

As the country is facing health challenges, the government through the Gambia Armed Forces is forcing their men and women in uniform to donate blood. Smart soldiers are asking why the forced donation of blood. The reply they got is ,”This is coming from the top.” We wonder who that “Top” is! 

The following are their target centers of donations for various military barracks. Basse Army Barracks ( a donation center) in Basse Major Health Center, Farafenni Barracks, APRC General Hospital, Mansakonko Military Barracks, donation center, Soma Major Health Center, Kanilai Barrack’s solidiers donation center Bwiam General Hospital, Yundum Barracks (donation center), Brikama Major Health Center,  Fajara Barrack’s (donations center),  Serrekunda General hospital, and Solidiers in Banjul, (donation center) EFSTH Banjul .

Reports say some soldiers lament lack of nutritious diet to able to proceed with the forced blood donations. “They are not given good food to eat but force to donate blood,” a source put it. The military is now an institution of lack of care for both men and women in uniform.

Questions being asked include where the COVID billions disappear if our government cannot afford to buy blood banks. Remember how corrupt government officials in the Ministry of Health were planning to steal the COVID money for personal gains?