Lagos partners CSOs on voluntary blood donation, safe blood transfusion

The Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) has partnered with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Lagos to improve advocacy for voluntary blood donation and safe blood transfusion services in the state.

The partnership with CSOs under the aegis of the Lagos State Civil Society Participation for Development (LACSOP) is expected to further help the LSBTS drive public support for blood donation, Bodunrin Osikomaiya, LSBTS executive secretary said, speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement in Lagos.

The LSBTS is saddled with regulating the blood transfusion chain, from collection, screening, storage, transportation, transfusion and making available blood products for healthy clinical use.

Osikomaiya said the LSBTS has equally concluded plans to kick off automation of blood transfusion processes in order to ensure efficiency, speed and reliability in the transfusion chain.

“We are engaging Civil Society Organizations so that we can increase our service delivery. CSOs need to understand our mandate and modus operandi; we need their support to achieve goals of increasing voluntary blood donation, creating necessary awareness about the process involved in blood transfusion services and safety in line with international best practices,” she said.

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Some of the highlights of the engagement were discussions around progress, challenges, opportunities, she explained, noting that objective criticism, suggestions, value-driven ideas, support and pledges that would help achieve mandate were also generated.

She expressed confidence that the engagement will yield the desired results through the civil societies, information and enlightenment on the processes involved in blood transfusion and safety.

“We want the Civil Societies to know that they have the potential of increasing advocacy and awareness of safe blood and we are also ready to listen to what they have to say to us so that we can improve our service delivery,” she added.

Osikomaiya tasked all stakeholders and organisations involved in the provision of blood transfusion services to adopt, build and sustain quality services that will help ensure increased voluntary blood donation and availability of safe blood in Lagos State.

Babatunde Okunnu, a medical laboratory scientist, presenting a paper on blood screening processes urged all stakeholders in blood transfusion service provision to abide by the appropriate clinical use of blood and follow the basic requirements of blood transfusion.

Also, Titi Akosa, the executive director, Centre for 21st Century Issues, a CSO commended the Lagos State government for its efforts at ensuring safe blood transfusion services in Lagos and engaging civil societies in the quest to achieve better blood transfusion service.

She affirmed that the stakeholders engagement has put CSOs in good stead to advocate and promote voluntary blood donation and safe blood transfusion services which will help save lives in times of emergencies.