Private Hospital Shut Down For Transfusing Unscreened Blood To Patients

A private hospital located at Ago-Okota in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Laos State has been closed for allegedly collecting and transfusing unscreened and unlabelled blood to patients.

The hospital was shut down by the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) and the State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Naija News reports.

Speaking with reporters at the weekend, the Executive Secretary of the LSBTS, Dr Bodunrin Osikomaiya, said that the health facility was sealed following a tip-off by a concerned citizen.

She said 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.

She said: “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 it to be true, the unwholesome, unprofessional and unethical medical practices and conduct of the hospital management.

“This facility was sealed for contravening the provision of the Blood Transfusion Service law, specifically, law 10, item 31 which 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”.

Osikomaiya said the details of the blood donors and transfusion recipients had been retrieved from the management of the facility, noting that there is zero tolerance for the collection and transfusion of unsafe blood and blood products in the state.

She added that citizens who had been transfused with unscreened units of blood at the facility are being traced as part of protocol, in order to know their clinical health status, and ascertain and ensure their health safety.

Osikomaiya noted that the management of the hospital and workers found culpable in the unwholesome act would be prosecuted in accordance with appropriate laws.

She, therefore, appealed to citizens to support the war against unwholesome blood transfusion services by reporting infractions and unwholesome practices when they see any.

She also implored health workers and stakeholders involved in the blood transfusion chain, including blood banks, blood donation centres, and logistics firms, to adhere strictly to WHO regulations and Lagos State Blood Transfusion laws on blood donation, collection and transfusion.