‘KORLE-BU Blood Bank besieged by contractors’ was the banner headline on the front page of last Thursday’s Times which attracted a lot of public attention.
The story read in part: “The corridors of operating theatres at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital are besieged by blood transfusion contractors who are ready to donate blood for a fee.
They charge between GH¢50 and GH¢60 for each pint of blood they donate to patients, who have been scheduled for surgery.
The practice has become common, because the hospital authorities require replenishment for transfused blood in the face of depleted stock.”
The Times finds the situation very worrying, because blood which is an essential commodity, should always be available in the blood bank to cater for the needs of patients who have been consigned for surgery.
As indicated by the National Blood Transfusion Service, the national annual requirement for blood transfusion is 250, 000 pints, but only 41 per cent is donated to the bank.
This has compelled the hospital to charge patients between GH¢30 and GH¢35 for a pint of blood donated freely by donors to cover the cost of storage.
We recall that in the past, the enthusiasm to donate blood voluntarily was so high to a point that the blood bank was flooded with large amount of blood which it was unable to store. It therefore, had to discourage people from further donating blood since the excess would go bad due to lack of storage facilities
At that time, there were enough logistics such as beverages and blood tonics to entice people to donate freely. The Times will not hesitate to ask what has accounted for the short fall in this noble exercise at this time when the blood bank is in dire need of blood.
We believe that since all surgical operations and accidents victims depend on blood supply to stabilize their conditions, efforts must be made to revitalize that spirit of enthusiasm which encourages people to donate blood voluntarily without demanding a fee.
We are also looking to a time when the Korle-Bu Blood Bank would transfuse blood to patients without demanding a fee.
The Times sympathises with relatives of patients who have been slated for surgery, who out of desperation, are ready to pay any amount to save the lives of their love ones.
We suggest that in order to discourage the practice of paying heavily for blood transfusion, the government must support the blood bank with the necessary logistics and other blood storage facilities to keep blood contractors out of this illegal business.
Blood is life, and we should not joke with it whatsoever.
The story read in part: “The corridors of operating theatres at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital are besieged by blood transfusion contractors who are ready to donate blood for a fee.
They charge between GH¢50 and GH¢60 for each pint of blood they donate to patients, who have been scheduled for surgery.
The practice has become common, because the hospital authorities require replenishment for transfused blood in the face of depleted stock.”
The Times finds the situation very worrying, because blood which is an essential commodity, should always be available in the blood bank to cater for the needs of patients who have been consigned for surgery.
As indicated by the National Blood Transfusion Service, the national annual requirement for blood transfusion is 250, 000 pints, but only 41 per cent is donated to the bank.
This has compelled the hospital to charge patients between GH¢30 and GH¢35 for a pint of blood donated freely by donors to cover the cost of storage.
We recall that in the past, the enthusiasm to donate blood voluntarily was so high to a point that the blood bank was flooded with large amount of blood which it was unable to store. It therefore, had to discourage people from further donating blood since the excess would go bad due to lack of storage facilities
At that time, there were enough logistics such as beverages and blood tonics to entice people to donate freely. The Times will not hesitate to ask what has accounted for the short fall in this noble exercise at this time when the blood bank is in dire need of blood.
We believe that since all surgical operations and accidents victims depend on blood supply to stabilize their conditions, efforts must be made to revitalize that spirit of enthusiasm which encourages people to donate blood voluntarily without demanding a fee.
We are also looking to a time when the Korle-Bu Blood Bank would transfuse blood to patients without demanding a fee.
The Times sympathises with relatives of patients who have been slated for surgery, who out of desperation, are ready to pay any amount to save the lives of their love ones.
We suggest that in order to discourage the practice of paying heavily for blood transfusion, the government must support the blood bank with the necessary logistics and other blood storage facilities to keep blood contractors out of this illegal business.
Blood is life, and we should not joke with it whatsoever.
