Stop giving expired blood to patients, commissioner warns hospitals

The Director-General, Nigeria Blood Services Commission, Omale Joseph has warned hospitals against giving expired blood to their patients, while others are selling blood donated to them by individuals to keep in their bank.

READ ALSO: Brain drain: Address challenges in health sector, doctors beg FG

The DG raised the alarm while briefing journalists in Abuja on Thursday over a bill sponsored by a member of the House, Abbas Tajudeen.
Consequently, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill into law on Thursday.
The bill is to establish the National Blood Services Commission.

Omale, while responding to some questions on the need to inject sanity into the process of blood handling, utilisation and administration in Nigeria, he said many officials in hospitals were cutting corners in the blood administration.

According to him, safe blood has a lifespan of 35 days after which it becomes unsafe to use.
He also stated that some individuals now sell the blood, donated for free in an exbortitant amount of N20,000 and above.
He however, said that the new commission is to stop the inhuman practices.

Omale noted that blood banks and centres would be established in the 36 states and local governments in the country to save lives.

*“These are some of the things we are going to regulate which we have started. We are also working to a point that blood will be everywhere in Nigeria. one of the things we are doing is to initiate what we call ” one million safe blood initiatives”.

The DG added, “ *Another area the Act would help is the issue of increasing the outlets where people can get blood. For example, you rarely get blood banks outside major hospitals”.*
“ *The establishment of the commission would ensure that not only state governments and their tertiary hospitals would have blood banks, but every local government should have at least a blood bank so that people in need would be able to access it easily and cheaply.”*
Omale also appealed to Nigerians to cultivate the culture of donating blood to help them rejuvenate.

The lawmaker said, “The president has assented to the bill for the establishment of the Nigerian Blood Service Commission.“ selling blood donated to them by individuals to keep in their bank.

Omale, while responding to some questions on the need to inject sanity into the process of blood handling, utilisation and administration in Nigeria, he said many officials in hospitals were cutting corners in the blood administration.

Omale noted that blood banks and centres would be established in the 36 states and local governments in the country to save lives.

He said, “A unit of blood expires between 30 and 35 days. If you don’t transfuse this blood within that period and it gets to 35 days, it has to be thrown away. But people still keep them in their fridge and transfuse them.
The DG added, “ *Another area the Act would help is the issue of increasing the outlets where people can get blood. For example, you rarely get blood banks outside major hospitals”.

The lawmaker said, “The president has assented to the bill for the establishment of the Nigerian Blood Service Commission.“

Oluchi Okwuego/ Punch