Blood services: FG gives unregistered health facilities 30 days ultimatum 

The National Blood Service Commission (NBSC) on Wednesday, issued a stern warning to all unregistered health facilities involved in blood services to register within 30 days or face sanctions.

The Acting Director-General of the commission, Dr Omale Amedu, gave the warning in Abuja, while briefing the media on the implementation of the NBSC blood service regulatory policies.

Amedu said all those involved in blood business were expected to register with the commission to ensure appropriate regulation and coordination of safe and quality blood and blood products

“Lawlessness and attitude of people towards regulatory compliance are difficult. However, when dealing with human lives, the consequences of such actions may result in grave consequences, ranging from morbidity to loss of lives.

“Therefore, we cannot continue to allow people to transfused infected and or expired blood to our people.

“No blood shall be transfused anywhere in Nigeria without the NBSC seal of accreditation.

“Anyone receiving blood or blood product transfusion in any Nigeria health facility must ask to see the NBSC seal and without it, do not accept because it is not safe,” he said.

According to him, over 90 per cent of health facilities in Nigeria were still practicing “sharp” and unsafe blood transfusion practices, exposing people to HIV, hepatitis, syphilis and others.

He, therefore, warned that any health facilities including those owned by the government as well as private that failed to register in the next 30 days would be sanctioned according to the law.

” Consequently, all Federal Government hospitals, FCT health facilities, private hospitals, individuals and international health facilities involved in blood transfusion, blood components separation, and aphaeresis in Nigeria.

” And, starting from the FCT, are to within 30 days from today comply and get registered with commission or face sanctions as provided by the NHAct 2014 and NBSC Act 2021,” he said.

He said rigorous process were involved to provide safe and quality blood and blood products, in terms of donor-selection, technical aspect of collection,  storage, appropriate testing technology, cold-chain system, distribution and client protection, as well as disposal of waste products. (NAN)