How hospitals can turn patients’ relatives into regular blood donors — Haematologist

Janet Ogundepo

A Professor of Haematology and Blood Transfusion at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, Akinbami Abduljaleel, has urged health authorities to encourage and convert replacement blood donors into regular voluntary donors to help address Nigeria’s persistent shortage of safe blood supply.

The blood transfusion expert said many Nigerians only donate blood when a relative or friend requires surgery or an emergency transfusion, stressing that such donors should be encouraged to continue donating voluntarily after the immediate need has passed.

“Convert replacement donors to voluntary donors. Those who are made to donate because their relatives are going for surgery and leave after that should be made to come back and donate voluntarily,” the donor said.

Abduljaleel further told PUNCH Healthwise that Nigeria remains far below the World Health Organisation’s recommended target for voluntary blood donation, warning that the shortfall continues to limit the country’s blood supply.

He called for sustained public enlightenment campaigns to raise awareness about voluntary blood donation and dispel misconceptions that discourage eligible Nigerians from donating blood.

“We are still far below what is expected of the country. For example, the World Health Organisation suggested that one per cent of the population should voluntarily donate blood. Maybe if you are 200 million, the one per cent should be like two million. We are over 200 million citizens, but from the last record I have, we are not up to 10 per cent of that number.

“So there still needs to be a lot of public enlightenment, public advertisements to create awareness to discourage people from replacement donors. As long as we are not meeting up with the number expected, there will be a shortfall,” he said.

According to the National Blood Service Agency, about 1,230,000 units of blood are collected across several facilities each year in Nigeria, out of which 90 per cent are from paid commercial donors and less than five per cent of the total blood donations are sourced from voluntary donors.

The NBSA further noted that it relies on a pool of regular donations by voluntary, unpaid blood donors and currently collects and screens approximately 25,000 units of blood collected from voluntary unpaid donors each year.

PUNCH Healthwise earlier reported that voluntary blood donation helps to enhance one’s lifespan and prevent the dangerous buildup of blood components.

Another report further noted that blood donation is indispensable in the treatment of accident victims, women with severe bleeding after childbirth, children with severe malaria, sickle cell patients and individuals with blood disorders.

Continuing, the haematologist explained that voluntary blood donation is safe because the body naturally replaces donated blood within a few months.

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“Whether you donate it or not, after three months the blood will be destroyed by the system, and it will be replaced by the bone marrow. Blood donation has no cost to the donor because the blood will be replaced after donation. Donated blood saves the lives of those who will need it.

“It makes you healthier than before. Once you donate, you’ll be lighter, and before you donate, you are confirmed to be fit for donation because you have more than enough blood. So if you are not fit for donation, you will not be eligible for donation. These are a few advantages,” he said.

Abduljaleel further stressed, “It’s important that we donate blood voluntarily. You’ll be able to save a lot of lives by doing that.”

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