Blood joins list of shortages

National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS) spokesman Emmanuel Masvikeni said the early closure of schools ahead of the March 29 poll was likely to exacerbate an already dire situation.

The lack of the vital health product has been precipitated by scarce fuel and foreign exchange.

Blood, essential in surgical operations, for haemophiliacs and for transfusions after major accidents, is the latest product to join the list of shortages in the southern African country.

Among the basics in short supply so far has been petroleum-based fuels, water, electricity and food.

Zimbabwe’s opposition blames the shortages on economic mismanagement, while President Mugabe says they are a result of a Western plot to topple him.

Persistent fuel shortages had also adversely affected the blood collection activities.

NBTS mobile units normally move to schools, factories and commercial offices collecting blood from donors, but the lack of fuel has impacted negatively on the collection.

The shortages “has led to shortages and intermittent supply of blood and blood components to hospitals nationwide,” Masvikeni said.

“The foreign currency shortage has put severe and enormous pressure on NBTS, as the import of essential plasma derivatives is no longer possible,” he said.

Plasma is essential for transfusion to haemophiliacs and is imported because the country does not have the technology to extract it from donated blood.

Masvikeni said everything that is imported, including test kits and anti-D, administered to Rhesus-negative mothers shortly after giving birth, were in short supply.

The blood bank said donors were also feeling compromised because the traditional “donor comforts” or refreshments given to them after donating blood were not readily available.

Health and Child Welfare minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa, told a visiting Tanzanian delegation last week that Zimbabwe’s blood bank was certified safe because of its ability to screen for HIV and Aids and other non-communicable diseases.

He said the NBTS was the first institution in Africa to attain an International Organisation for Standardisation Certificate for quality and safe blood. But said shortages were undoing the gains made by the country.