The Lagos state Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, has urged 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.
He stated this during a virtual workshop on safe blood transfusion practices organised by the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) for health care professionals in private and public health facilities.
He 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.
“Blood safety and patient safety in transfusion service is a topic that cannot be over emphasized, this is why the Lagos state government through LSBTS is working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to improve access to safe blood for transfusions and promote blood safety.
Abayomi said this is why we initiated this training as a capacity-building mechanism for all cadres of health professionals involved in the blood transfusion chain to recognise and prevent errors in blood transfusion process and ensure that only safe blood are made available for transfusion in our health facilities.
He stated that safe blood transfusion practices involved all activities in the blood donation chain.
The commissioner added that LSBTS was focusing on four key areas to achieve safe blood transfusion services.
