As part of efforts to enhance the performance of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), the Federal Ministry of Health is drafting a law to establish a National Blood Service Commission and a network of 17 trauma care centers across the country.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole on Wednesday in Abuja at an event organised by the ministry to commemorate the World Blood Donor Day.
According to Adewole, the bill will grant the NBTS the autonomy it requires to carry out its mandate in consonance with global best practices.
The Minister said:“The NBTS will thus have a proper mandate to provide safe, quality and adequate blood in an equitable and cost-effective manner to all people resident in Nigeria. This will be executed through a network of 17 centres spread across the six geopolitical zones, including the FCT.
“This is consistent with this year’s campaign and brings to fore the urgent need to foster collaborations with relevant agencies such as the Nigerian Red Cross Society, NEMA, Nigerian Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Civil Defence Corps & the Nigerian Defence Forces in order to develop an Emergency protocol/ guidelines for action during emergencies,” he added.
He observed that insufficiency of blood for transfusion has been one of the reasons for high causalities and delay in attending to victims at health facilities in Africa, especially in Nigeria.
According to him; “With a population of over 180 million, the estimated blood need in Nigeria is about 1.8 million units of blood per annum. Unfortunately, much less is donated leading to avoidable deaths and morbidity particularly among women folk, newborn children, victims of road traffic accidents and insurgencies”.
He added that:“if up to one per cent of our country’s adult population commit themselves to voluntary non-remunerated blood donation on a regular basis”.
The World Blood Donor Day is celebrated around the globe on June 14 with to raise awareness on the need for safe blood and blood products world-wide, as well as to appreciate those who voluntarily give their blood to save the lives of others.
This year's theme for focused on blood donation in emergencies with the slogan “What can you do? Give blood. Give Often”.
