Hospitals face blood shortage

Most of the hospitals cannot afford to buy blood on a cash basis because of shortage of finances.

Masvingo provincial medical director Dr Robert Mudyirandima said on a monthly basis, the province would need at least 1 300 units of blood, but in March alone they managed to buy only 500 units. Half of this blood is consumed by pregnant women.

Dr Mudyirandima said hospitals are failing to procure required units of blood because of budgetary constraints.
“Since the European Union’s coupon system to buy blood came to an end, we never had enough blood in our institutions,” he said.

“This was worsened by NBSZ’s decision to cut credit facilities for us to access blood.”
Although patients are made to pay for the required pints of blood, Dr Mudyirandima said the majority of them could not afford, while for those who can pay, the pints are not enough.

Matabeleland North provincial medical director Dr Nyasha Masuka said district hospitals in the province were referring patients to Lupane Provincial Hospital where blood supplies were also deminished.

He said this resulted in complications as some mothers who need blood transfusion fail to receive it.
“We have three maternal cases which occurred before transfusion as the district hospital did not have any blood in stock,” said Dr Masuka.

“The problem is really serious and we are hoping it will be resolved soon.”
Acting provincial medical director for Mashonaland East Dr Admire Kuretu called on funding for blood, saying most patients who required it could not afford to buy.

Blood costs US$50 per pint at mission hospitals while it goes for US$65 per pint at Government hospitals.
NBSZ withdrew a credit facility for hospitals to get blood at the beginning of the year after they failed to settle debts.

The blood transfusion organisation said it is owed about US$1 million by Government in unpaid bills for blood and blood products.
Ministry of Health and Child Welfare acting secretary Dr Davis Dhlakama said Government was aware of the shortage of blood in hospitals and plans were afoot to address the challenges.

“We are trying to get money for that and we hope it will soon be resolved,” he said. “We have the Health Transition Fund (HTF), which is trying to address all those challenges.”
Some of the components of the HTF, a pool of funds from donors, include supporting maternal and child health.