A private hospital in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, Ago-Okota, was closed down by the Lagos State Government for giving patients blood that was not tested or labelled.
This was announced by the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) Executive Secretary, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, in a press release signed by Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the Public Affairs Director of the Ministry of Health.
Dr. Osikomaiya said that a concerned citizen tipped off the LSBTS and the state Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), which both joined forces to investigate and monitor the hospital.
They found out that the hospital was doing illegal, unprofessional and unethical things with blood transfusion.
Dr. Osikomaiya said that the hospital broke the blood transfusion service law, which says that no one in Lagos State can give blood to a patient unless the blood has been checked, tested, labelled by the state blood transfusion committee and shown to be free of diseases like HIV I and II, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis and others that LSBTS may decide.
She said that the hospital also endangered the lives of innocent people by giving them unscreened blood.
Dr. Osikomaiya said that the government was looking for the patients who got the untested blood to check their health and make sure they were safe; noting that the hospital management and staff would face the law.
She said that the state government had improved blood screening methods in order to stop unethical blood transfusion practices in the state.
Dr. Osikomaiya asked citizens to help them fight against bad blood transfusion service by informing the government whenever they see anything wrong.
She also asked health workers and others who work with blood transfusion, like blood banks, blood donation centres and transport companies, to follow WHO rules and the state blood transfusion laws on giving, taking and moving blood.
