Concerns have arisen that the country’s National Blood Transfusion Serviceand Trauma care is running short of blood and that its blood bank is drying up. According to statements there is a big deficit of over 1.7 million yearly, which That deficit is either filled or people continue to die for lack of blood. Describing this statistic as disturbing,Chris Otabo, Trauma care Coordinator, said: “We are talking about the need for blood transfusion, blood is needed for emergency in cases of big surgery, when patients bleed in case of accident and when women deliver and bleed. One of the causes of death for women who deliver at the maternity ward is bleeding.”Following the statistics given by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, Otabo did state that Nigeria requires 1.8 million unit of blood annually, but the National Blood Transfusion Service said it had not gotten blood more than 66,000 units per year. He continued: “During the recent World Blood Donor Day, the Minister of Health gave us statistics that are disturbing. He said 1.8 million units of blood are required in Nigeria annually and the National Blood Transfusion Service said in recent years, they have not gotten blood more than 66,000 units per year. That means there is a big deficit of over 1.7 million.
That deficit is either filled by remunerated donors which are not saved or the blood is not there at all and that means people can die for reason that could be prevented. We want to talk to Nigerians to save lives by donating blood. Blood donation is safe and nothing can happen to blood donor, it is a good health practice to donate blood. In the process of solving this big deficitin the blood we have in our bank,we are organizing a national blood donor registration.”He then said that the blood donor registration and blood donation have commenced in Abuja and other parts of the country.While calling on Nigerians to come out in record-breaking numbers to register and donate blood, he was looking to beat India who currently held the Guinness Book of Record after donating about 3,400 units of blood in 1 day.“We want to get 10, 000 people to come to register and signifies the irintention to donate,” Otabo said.“We want to get a database of atleast 10,000 people that we can call on at any time if there is the need to donate; so that we can keep the blood bank wet rather than dry.”Is Nigeria’s Blood Bank Drying Up?
