19 Bauchi Secondary Health Facilities Lack Blood Banks – Survey

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Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole

 

By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
 
Mamaye Evidence for Action (E4A), a UK Sponsored project has expressed worrisome over non-availability of functional blood banks in 19 Secondary Health Facilities in Bauchi state.
 
A survey conducted by Mamaye showed that only eight out of the 27 Secondary Health facilities assessed in the state have blood banks.
 
Mamaye E4A Advisor, Daniel Abraham said in a presentation of Maternal Newborn and Child Health Scorecard of Bauchi state for the period between January and June 2017 held Thursday in Bauchi.
 
He said, “The survey we conducted from July to September 2017 indicates that only 8 facilities have blood when needed. Though some of the facilities have blood bank but unfortunately they are not working.
 
Abraham also disclosed that only 17 SHF have Magnesium Sulphate which is one of the live saving drugs for mothers and newborn.
 
He thereby called on state government to provide functional blood bank at all the SHF in the state to save the lives of mothers during child birth.
 
According to him, state government need to do more to make blood banks available because lack of blood bank in the health facilities hinders efficient medical care to pregnant mothers.
 
Abraham also charged the state government to ensure regular supply of live saving drugs to all health facilities to save the lives of pregnant mothers during delivery.
 
Also speaking, the chairman of Knowledge Management Communication Sub-committee of Bauchi State Accountability Mechanism (BASAM), Bulak Afsa urged the state ministry of health to make data on number of pregnant women with HIV available as well as ensure that all HIV positive women receive antiretroviral drugs.
 
“The State Ministry of Health should also work with the Primary Health Care Development Agency to identify barriers and solutions on the importance of attending antenatal care in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and postnatal clinic visit within two or at least three days of delivery”.
 
She charged the state government to allocate resources to strengthen linkages between health facilities and Traditional Birth Attendants (BTAs).
 
“The government should also develop and implement a plan to strengthen support and training if TBAs to encourage more referral of women to facilities and maternity care”, Afsa added.
 
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Aliyu Gital said that the state government will ensure the availability of blood bank in all health facilities across the state for survival of pregnant mothers.
 
“We want to assure that we shall pay more attention to all our health facilities and ensure provision of blood bank in all secondary and tertiary health facilities in 2018”, Gital said.
 

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