Inadequate and maldistribution of critical personnel for blood transfusion services, a potential threat to blood safety in Nigeria: a multicenter cooperative study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60787/njh.vol9no1.88Keywords:
Maldistribution, Personnel, Blood transfusion services, Multicenter, NigeriaAbstract
Background: The safety of blood depends on the training and experience of personnel responsible for its processing, especially in low-resource settings where an ineffective environment poses a challenge to the provision of safe blood. The study aimed to conduct an audit of personnel involved in blood transfusion services in all Tertiary Hospitals (THs) in Nigeria.
Method: Electronic-based (Google Form) cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2019 and June 2020. Data was analysed with SPSS (version 21.0).
Main Result: Most of the THs had medical laboratory scientist 48 (96.00%) [Mean ± SD (8.10 ± 7.40) and Sum (337.00)] and majority had Haematologist 30 (60.00%) [Mean ± SD (3.60 ± 2.45) and Sum (144.00)] but only 14 (28.00%) [Mean ± SD (1.54 ± 0.66) and Sum (21.00)] had Nurses and 21 (42.00%) [Mean ± SD (3.05 ± 2.17) and Sum (65.00)] had blood donor recruiters. The South-West (SW) had the highest manpower, at 250 (29.34%), and the North-East (NE) had the least, at 60 (7.04%). Out of the 21 Nurses, SW had 7 (33.33%), whereas NE had 0 (0.00%). Among the 65 donor recruiters, SW had 16 (24.62%), whereas NE had 8 (12.31%).
Conclusion: The bulk of transfusion manpower was made up of medical laboratory scientists, with a gross shortage of nurses and blood donor recruiters. There is a maldistribution of the manpower that forms the linkage between altruistic donors and the system. These findings call for urgent recruitment/redeployment and training of nurses in transfusion services and eventual deployment of resources for training of specialists in transfusion medicine.
Downloads
References
1.Arewa OP. One-year clinical audit of the use of blood and blood Components at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice. 2009; 12(4): 429-433
2.Henshaw UO, Enosakhare AA. Blood donors deferral prevalence and causes in a tertiary health care hospital, southern Nigeria. BMC Health Services Research (2019) 19:510. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4352-2
3.Report of the expert working group set up under the chairmanship of the Special Director General of Health Services. Review and recommendation of manpower norms for blood banks. 2016 cited at https://naco.gov.in/sites/default/files/Report%20of%20Expert%20working%20group%20for%20manpower%20norms-min.pdf on 13th October, 2024
4.Ugwu NI, O Oti WJ, Ugwu CN, Uneke CJ. Voluntary non-remunerated blood donation: Awareness, perception, and attitude among potential blood donors in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Niger J Clin Pract. 2019; 22: 1509-15.
5.Aneke JC, Okocha CE. Blood transfusion safety; current status and challenges in Nigeria. Asian J Transfus Sci 2017; 11:1-5
6.Ugwu AO, Madu AJ, Efobi CC, Ibegbulam OG. Pattern of blood donation and characteristics of blood donors in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. Niger J Clin Pract 2018; 21:1438-43.
7.Ekwere TA, Ino-Ekanem M, Motilewa OO, Iquo AI. Pattern of blood donor deferral in a tertiary hospital, South-south, Nigeria: A three-year study review. Int J Blood Transfus Immunohematol 2014; 4: 7–13.
8.Barnes LS, Stanley J, Bloch EM, et al. Status of hospital-based blood transfusion services in low-income and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional international survey. BMJ Open 2022;12: e055017. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055017
9.Barro L, Drew VJ, Poda GG, Tagny CT, El-Ekiaby M, Owusu-Ofori S et al. Blood transfusion in sub-Saharan Africa: understanding the missing gap and responding to present and future challenges. Vox Sang. 2018;113(8):726–36.
10.Adewuyi JO, Saliu IA, Dada JA. Survey of facilities for appropriate training in blood transfusion in Anglophone West Africa. Afr Sanguine. 2018; 19(2): 12-17.
11.John CA, Theodora UE, Gloria AN, Chika EA. Adverse reactions to blood donation: A descriptive study of 3520 blood donors in a Nigerian tertiary hospital. Med J DY Patil Univ. 2017; 10: 36-40.
12.Alkali NH, Bello MR. Tertiary hospital standards in Nigeria: A review of current status. Annals of African Medical Research 2020; 3:108 doi:10.4081/aamr.2020.108
13.Christian Connections for International Health. An overview of the health system in Nigeria and the contributions and role of faith-based health providers in the overall health system. 2021 cited at https://www.ccih.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/HSS-FBO-Report-Nigeria.pdf on 13th October, 2024
14.National Blood Safety Standards for Blood Establishments in Nigeria. National Blood Service Commission, Abuja, Nigeria. 2021 cited at https://nbsc.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/NATIONAL-BLOOD-SAFETY-STANDARDS-FOR-BLOOD-ESTABLISHMENTS-IN-NIGERIA.pdf on 13th October, 2024
15.World Health Organization. Towards 100% voluntary blood donation: a global framework for action. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010 cited at https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/44359/9789241599696_eng.pdf on 13th October, 2024
16.Garba U, Abdulqadir I, Ugwu N, Adeyemo T, Yau N, Hassan A et. al. Blood donation practices, processing and utilisation of blood components in government tertiary hospitals in Nigeria: A multicenter cooperative study. International Health 2023; 0: 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihad105
17.Alhassan DM, Papytcho N, Ana MC. Barriers to effective transfusion practices in limited in resources settings: From infrastructure to cultural beliefs. World J Surg. 2010 cited at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-020-05461-x
18.Adeyemo TA, Bolarinwa AB, Olatinwo AT, Oyewole A, Akanmu AS. Blood transfusion service in a tertiary hospital in sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID - 19 pandemic: Experience from Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Afr Sanguine. 2021; 23(1): 30 – 35 cited https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/asan.v23i1.5
19.Obi E, Diette-spiff C, Omunakwe H. Knowledge and practices of physicians on blood component therapy: a cross-sectional study from two tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Afri Health Sci. 2021;21(3). 1230-1236. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v21i3.32
20.Rahman AB, Oladipo AA, Babatunde WO, Aramide BA. Bacterial contamination of blood and blood components in a tertiary hospital setting in Nigeria. Int J Infect Control 2011, v7: i1 doi: 10.3396/ijic. V7i1.001.11
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nigerian Journal of Haematology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
