Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi has tasked all health workers and stakeholders in the blood transfusion chain on the need to strictly adhere to safe blood transfusion practices and ensure patient safety in blood transfusion procedures.
Prof. Abayomi gave this charge during a virtual workshop on Safe Blood Transfusion Practices organized by the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, LSBTS for health care professionals in private and public health facilities.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Executive Secretary, LSBTS, Dr. Bodunrin Oshikomaiya noted that a wide range of errors which may occur at various stages and process of transfusion must be guarded against in view of the need for patient safety and wellbeing in transfusion services.
He explained that safe blood transfusion practices involves all activities in blood donation chain from blood collection from low-risk, regular, voluntary unpaid donors as well as testing, processing, storage, distribution of blood to actual transfusion.
Prof. Abayomi said that LSBTS will continue to train health workers involved in blood transfusion chain on safe and good clinical transfusion practices stressing that the agency has over the years, trained health workers on documentation, quality assessment and rational use of blood and blood products to reduce unnecessary transfusions and minimize the risks associated with transfusion.
Speaking in the same vein, a Consultant Haematologist and Blood Transfusion Specialist, Dr. C.O Muyiwa urged health workers to properly utilize blood component and also avoid unnecessary and inappropriate blood transfusion.
She averred that transfusion services must always be in tune with standard operating procedures and protocols in order to ensure safety in the blood transfusion chain.
