By Kamil Opeyemi
The Lagos State Government has sealed a private hospital at Ago-Okota in the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area for taking unscreened and unlabeled blood and administering it to unsuspecting patients.
Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, the executive secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS), made this known in a statement released on Sunday by Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the Director of Public Affairs for the State Ministry of Health.
Osikomaiya stated that the health facility was sealed by LSBTS and the State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) following a tip off by a concerned citizen.
“A concerned citizen had reached out to us to report the unwholesome practices of the facility. Following the tip-off, and after thorough investigations, the enforcement teams of LSBTS and HEFAMAA, during their joint monitoring exercise in the area, visited the facility and confirmed to be true, the unwholesome, unprofessional, and unethical medical practices and conduct of the hospital management,” Osikomaiya said.
She added that the facility was shut for contravening the blood transfusion service law and for their unethical and unprofessional medical practice as well as putting the lives of unsuspecting citizens at risk.
“The law states that no person within Lagos State shall transfuse blood into a patient unless such blood has been screened, tested, labelled by the state blood transfusion committee, and found to be negative for all transmissible diseases, including HIV I and II, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis, and any other disease as may be deemed necessary by LSBTS,” she added.
The Executive Secretary further stated that the details of the blood donors and transfusion recipients had been retrieved from the management of the hospital.
She noted that patients who were given the unscreened units of blood at the facility were being traced as part of the protocol to ascertain their clinical health status and ensure their safety.
Osikomaiya emphasised that the hospital’s management and any employees found to have participated in the improper act would face legal action.
She continued by saying that the agency had revised its tactics for sanitising the state against unethical blood transfusion and was still fighting the unwholesome practice of transfusing unscreened blood in the state.
“The Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service was established with a mandate to provide safe blood and blood products for all who require it in accredited health facilities. This mandate is actualized through the active recruitment of voluntary blood donors, screening of every unit of blood for transfusion-transmissible infection, efficient processing of blood, and appropriate clinical use of blood.
“In ensuring that only safe blood is transfused in the State, the LSBTS routinely monitors all private and public blood banks, blood donation centres, facilities that transfuse blood and blood products, screening centres and blood logistics companies in the state to ensure compliance with the law.
“In addition, it ensures that all blood and blood products transfused in the state is screened by Lagos State accredited partners using WHO certified methods and labelled with the State Blood Certification logo.
“Recall that Mr Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi and the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye had all condemned the unwholesome practice of transfusing unscreened blood in Lagos State and tasked all health workers both in public and private health facilities as well as stakeholders in the blood transfusion chain on the need to comply and adhere to safe blood transfusion practices in order to ensure patient safety in blood transfusion procedures,” she said
To help the fight against unwholesome blood transfusion, Osikomaiya urged people to report any violations and unwholesome behaviour they observed.
She also pleaded with medical professionals and other parties concerned with the blood transfusion chain, such as blood banks, donation facilities, and logistics companies, to strictly abide by state blood transfusion laws and the rules set forth by the World Health Organization regarding blood donation, collection, and transfusion.
“This war against unwholesome blood transfusion practices involves and affects every citizens, and as a result, the LBTS will step up the tempo by continuous monitoring of all facilities concerned with blood transfusion, so that we can ensure safe and wholesome blood transfusion chain and guarantee the safety of all citizens residing in Lagos State,” She added