By Mustapha Umar
The Federal Government has begun steps to standardise the cost of blood across hospitals in Nigeria, in what officials describe as a major effort to ensure fairness, transparency, and equitable access for patients requiring transfusion.
The initiative, being coordinated by the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), follows increasing public concerns over what many have called exploitative and inconsistent blood service fees in hospitals nationwide.
Speaking at a workshop for Hospital Transfusion Committee (HTC) members in Abuja, NBSA Director-General, Prof. Saleh Yuguda, said the harmonisation plan was prompted by “public outcry over the high and inconsistent charges placed on blood by hospitals across the country.”
According to him, several patients have complained of paying for blood that was never used, often without any refund — a situation he described as “unacceptable.”
“Blood is a public good. What we are doing is to ensure that the system works in a fair and transparent manner, so that Nigerians can have access to safe blood when they need it, without being exploited,” Yuguda stated in a message shared on Wednesday.
He explained that while some have called for government to fully subsidise the cost of blood, a partial subsidy already exists. “The government currently bears the major cost involved in the collection, screening, and processing of blood,” he noted.
Yuguda said the next phase of the programme would involve engaging hospital administrators and state health authorities to align their pricing structures with national standards once the harmonisation framework is finalised.
He added that discussions are already underway with manufacturers and suppliers of essential consumables — particularly blood bag producers — to stabilise their prices in line with current economic realities.
“These talks aim to centralise and stabilise the cost of critical items so that hospitals can deliver transfusion services more efficiently and ethically,” he explained, adding that predictable pricing would help reduce the financial burden on patients.
Also speaking at the event, Prof. Philip Olatunji, a Professor of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine, criticised what he called the “creeping commercialisation” of blood services in some hospitals.
“There must be a sense of good conscience in practice,” Olatunji said. “You cannot claim to exist to save lives and then end up losing lives because of your revenue drive. Blood service should not be a profit-making venture; it should be a life-saving responsibility.”
He urged healthcare managers to balance sustainability with compassion, stressing that “moderation is a virtue the system must rediscover.”
The workshop, which brought together transfusion officers, policymakers, and medical experts, emphasised the role of Hospital Transfusion Committees in enforcing national standards, safeguarding patients, and improving blood utilisation.
In 2024, Prof. Yuguda revealed that Nigeria currently meets less than 30 per cent of its annual blood requirement, underscoring the country’s critical shortage and the need for systemic reforms in blood management.
