Lagos closes hospital over untested blood
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
The Lagos State Government has closed down a private hospital in Ago-Okota, Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area for allegedly collecting and transfusing unsorted and unlabelled blood to unsuspecting patients.
The News Agency of Nigeria quoted the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya who made this known in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs in the state Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, on Sunday in Lagos.
Osikomaiya said the LSBTS, in collaboration with the State Agency for Monitoring and Accreditation of Health Care Institutions, closed the facility following a report from a concerned citizen.
“Following a report and thorough investigation, enforcement teams from LSBTS and HEFAMAA visited the facility during a joint surveillance exercise in the area and confirmed the inappropriate, unprofessional medical practices and conduct and unethical management of the hospital,” Osiomaiya said. said
He added that the facility was closed due to violation of the Blood Transfusion Service Act, unethical and unprofessional medical practices and endangering the lives of unsuspecting citizens. “The law provides that a person in Lagos State shall not donate blood to any patient unless such blood has been screened, tested, labeled by the State Blood Transfusion Commission and found to be negative for all communicable diseases including HIV I and II, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis and any other illness deemed necessary by LSBTS,” he added.
Osikomaiya said the hospital management has been asked to provide details of blood donors and transfusion recipients.
He noted that patients transfused with unsorted blood units at the facility were monitored as part of the protocol to determine their clinical health status and ensure their safety.
Osikomaiya stressed that the management and staff of the hospital found guilty of acts dangerous to health will be prosecuted in accordance with the relevant laws.
He added that the agency had revised its strategies to rid the state of unethical blood transfusions and continued to wage war against the unhealthy practice of transfusing untested blood in the state. Osikomaiya appealed to citizens to support the war against unhealthy blood transfusion by reporting irregularities and unhealthy practices whenever they come across them.
He also called on health workers and stakeholders involved in the blood transfusion chain, including blood banks, blood donation centers and logistics companies, to strictly adhere to the World Health Organization regulations and laws governing blood transfusion rules on blood donation, collection and transfusion.
