- Failure to access blood when needed in hospitals is a major health risk since it is administered for the treatment of patients with critical illnesses.
- According to government statistics, at least 1,100 patients need blood or components of blood each day.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service supplied hospitals with just about half the blood requested between 2016-2019, a performance report of Auditor General Nancy Gathungu shows.
The report, tabled in the National Assembly on October 12, said KNBTS supplied only 26,950 out of the 50,257 units requested on average in the 27 sampled hospitals.
“This poses a risk currently and also the future availability of blood for patients, considering that blood requests during the period gradually increased by about 6,000 units each year,” Gathungu said.
The report said KNBTS does not have a stock management system for blood and blood products.
“Consequently, there are no established re-order levels for efficient blood transfusion services. The hospitals, therefore, order blood as and when needed,” the report said.
“A lack of efficient inventory not only affects the availability of blood and blood products but may also result in wastage due to the expiry of blood and blood components because of a lack of adequate stocking systems.”
It said failure to access blood when needed in hospitals is a major health risk since it is administered for the treatment of patients with critical illnesses.
“This is especially for life-threatening conditions like antepartum and post-partum haemorrhages which contribute to high mortality rates in maternal deaths or cases of accident victims who immediately require a blood transfusion,” the report said.
KNBTS, the predecessor to the Kenya Tissue and Transplant Authority came into existence on August 1, vide Legislative Supplement No. 61 and Legal Notice No.142.
WHO resolution 28.72 of 1975 and the Regional Commonwealth Ministers of Health Declaration of 1989 require Member States to develop comprehensive, well-coordinated blood transfusion services based on voluntary non-remunerated blood donation.
According to government statistics, at least 1,100 patients need blood or components of blood each day.
About 60 per cent of the donated blood is used by expectant women and children due to birth-related complications, which include antepartum and post-partum haemorrhages.
“Kenya has a population of about 47.6 million people implying a target collection of about 476,000 units per year,” the report shows.
“However, review of annual blood collection targets shows that KNBTS targeted an average of 201, 250 units in the period under review resulting in a below target of 274,750 (58 per cent units) of the WHO requirements.”