By Benjamin Omoike
The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS), Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, has tasked blood logistics service firms to build and maintain quality assurance in their logistics services, in order to ensure continuous provision of safe blood and blood products in Lagos State.
Speaking recently at the maiden stakeholders meeting with accredited blood logistics service providers, held at the LCCI Conference Centre, Ikeja, Osikomaiya noted that the role of blood logistics service providers in the maintenance of cold chain, blood supply chain and transportation of blood and blood products, is crucial in the drive towards meeting the growing blood needs of the State.
She said: “This maiden stakeholders meeting is geared towards highlighting the role of blood logistics service providers; their operations, strength, weakness, opportunities and threats towards ensuring the continual provision of safe blood and blood products in Lagos in line with international best practices. This is forum therefore provides us with an opportunity address challenges confronting the provision safe blood for transfusion in Lagos especially with regards to quality blood logistics service provision.”
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Explaining that the need to co-opt blood logistics service providers in the overall blood transfusion chain, Osikomaiya stated that the need for prompt supply and transportation of safe blood and blood products for transfusion could not be achieved in a megacity like Lagos without involvement blood logistics service firms.
According to her, there are standards and quality assurance procedures expected of blood logistics service firms in the overall blood transfusion chain in order to ensure that only safe blood are transfused in Lagos State.
Osikomaiya added that the need to prevent and eliminate a wide range errors that may occur in the transportation of blood, particularly in the maintenance of a cold chain has spurred the need for a regular engagement with stakeholders in blood logistics service provision, The Trumpet gathered.
She noted that blood logistics firms must always ensure quality services through validation of cold transport boxes, proper documentation, efficient communication and promotion of voluntary blood donation whilst also maintaining good relationship with blood banks and health facilities in the State.
In her word: “The Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service considers the whole process involved in the blood transfusion chain sacrosanct; we intend to eliminate any error that may occur in the blood transfusion chain, from the collection, screening, storage, transportation and transfusion of blood and blood products to patients through top notch quality assurance procedures and commitment from stakeholders. Blood safety and patient safety is of paramount importance to us.”
Osikomaiya noted that LSBTS is poised to ensure that only safe blood and blood products are transfused in Lagos adding that LSBTS is working with all stakeholders in the blood transfusion chain to achieve this mandate.
“We will continue to engage blood logistics service firms on regular basis on safe blood logistics practices and blood transportation to promote uniform implementation of standards and consistency in the provision of safe blood and blood products for transfusion in Lagos State,” she said.
In attendance at the stakeholders meeting were representatives from accredited third party blood logistics firms, public and private health facilities, Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Lagos State Laboratory Strengthening Technical Working Group, Blood Bank Association of Nigeria (BBSN) and Association of Nigeria Private Medical Practitioners.
