The Safety Lifeline: Blood Management in Zimbabwe in Perspective

By Staff Reporter

Blood transfusion is a precious medical intervention, a safety lifeline for emergency victims, surgery, and chronic disease sufferers. But the safety of the lifeline has to be guaranteed. At the center of guaranteeing that all transfusions are both safe and effective in Zimbabwe is the National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ), a nonprofit institution under the charge to collect and distribute blood products.

A Process and a Gift:
The NBSZ is dependent on the goodwill of voluntary blood donors. Their gift is given for nothing, a demonstration of community spirit and a desire to save lives. But this gift is converted into an accessible and safe medical product through a sophisticated and expensive process. As stressed by the NBSZ, these expenses are vital in ensuring the safety and integrity of the blood supply chain and its availability to everyone in need.

Four Pillars of Blood Safety:
The NBSZ holds fast to worldwide safety standards in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) procedures. The blood donation process has four main steps, which are assiduously observed:

– Testing: All donated units of blood are subjected to rigorous laboratory screening for all types of infection, such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. This final process guarantees the blood is free of pathogens, little intruders that can lead to infection.
– Processing: The certified safe blood is then divided into its main components: platelets, plasma, and red blood cells. Through this division, health practitioners are able to use the individual component that they require to administer to a patient, maximizing every donation. A bleeding disorder patient, for instance, can be administered platelets, while an anemic patient can only receive red blood cells.
– Storage: Each blood component has unique storage requirements, usually in precisely controlled cold conditions and with restricted shelf lives. There is a need for caution to maintain such conditions in order to confirm the quality and efficacy of the blood products.
– Quality Control: Quality control is high at every stage in the process to ensure that every step meets high standards. Such a focus on quality is also applied to the supply of blood to health centers.

Government Support and Donor Care:
The Zimbabwean Government has made an enormous commitment towards increasing the access to safe blood. Public health centers provided blood and blood products free of charge to patients from 2018. This was done for the removal of financial barriers and providing this life-saving commodity to the poor and vulnerable segment of society. NBSZ also appreciates the precious service by the blood donors. Their “Blood Components Beneficiary Policy” guarantees that donors who have made a donation of blood 10 or more times, with their most recent donation within the last 12 months, qualify for free blood for their biological parents, children, or spouse, should they need a transfusion. The NBSZ invites any donors who may be experiencing difficulties to contact them directly.

Transparency and Cooperation:
Although the safety and processing are within the NBSZ, it operates hand in hand with medical providers to enable transparency and effectiveness in the system. Once the blood has been released to medical centers, it becomes their responsibility.

A Shared Duty:
The safety of Zimbabwe’s blood supply is a shared responsibility. The NBSZ’s dedication to appropriate testing, processing, and quality control, and the government’s dedication to unhampered access in public facilities, are a good starting point. But sustaining blood donation, appropriate compliance with safety procedures on the part of health workers, and public education on the need for blood safety are all required if this lifeline is to be sustained. The blood donors’ generosity is what saves lives, and the NBSZ’s dedication to safety means that lives are saved without jeopardizing public health.