President, Olanrewaju Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Dr. Abdulwaheed Olanrewaju, has condemned blood shortage which many hospitals grapple with whenever they need blood for emergency use.

Olanrewaju said Nigeria needed about 1.5 million units of blood annually for medical treatment and, by implication, more blood banks.

He noted that currently, Nigeria might not have up to 750,000 units of blood annually as a result of low awareness on the need for voluntary blood donation.

He spoke in Ilorin on Monday during the inauguration of a blood bank donated to the hospital by the Rotary International Club of Ilorin.

Olanrewaju called on the state and local governments to complement Federal Government’s efforts in establishing blood banks.

He urged Nigerians to donate blood voluntarily in order to save lives.

The District Governor, District 9125, Rotary International,  Mr. Felix Arinze, urged other organisations, corporate bodies and philanthropists to invest  more on health care projects and other services that could enhance the welfare of the people.