The acting Director-General of the National Blood Service Commission, Dr. Omale Amedu, decries a deficit in the country’s blood bank.
Amedu, who spoke during the commencement of a nationwide sensitisation on the NBSC mandate in Abuja, said the Nigerian blood bank had a very great deficit and would not cater to the needs of over 200 million population.
He said, “Nigeria’s large population requires the availability of safe blood and blood products for emergency use. There is a great deficit in the blood bank that we have currently.
“Having a population of over 200 million Nigerians, we are expected to have a minimum of two million safe blood units per annum, but as I speak to you, we have only about 25,000 safe blood units in our record. So we really need Nigerians to volunteer blood freely because you never can tell who needs blood, we need to be prepared.”
He also noted that the frequent donation of blood revitalised the body system, improved the health status of the donor due to the clinical check-up, and saved lives.
“The flag-off of the sensitisation on the NBSC mandate was to further ensure the regulation, coordination, and provision of safe, quality blood and blood products nationwide.
“Our target is to increase blood units collected from voluntary non-remunerated donors and sensitise Nigerians on the one million Safe Blood Units Initiative, such that blood units collected will increase from 25,000 to one million by 2023 and three million by 2030.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who was represented by Senior Special Technical Assistant in the ministry, Dr. Chris Isokonwe, said there was a need for more sensitisation and mobilisation of citizens to embrace blood donation as a responsibility of all.
He was quoted as saying, “Blood donation saves lives. This is why we’re calling on stakeholders to ensure safe, quality provision of necessary blood and products for the good of all Nigerians.
During the event, Head of Planning, Research, and Statistics, NBSC, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, said the expected outcome of the sensitisation exercise would achieve Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals.
“It would also enhance citizens’ access to safe blood, and gain perspective on the role of multi-sector stakeholders in strengthening the blood transfusion value chain.”
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
