A private hospital located in Ago-Okota, within the Oshodi-Isolo local government area, has been closed by the Lagos state government for the unlawful collection and transfusion of unscreened and unlabeled blood to unsuspecting patients.
Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS), made this revelation in a statement signed by Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the Director of Public Affairs for the state Ministry of Health, on Sunday, October 15. The facility was sealed by the state Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) based on information provided by a concerned citizen.
Osikomaiya pointed out that the hospital had violated blood transfusion service regulations, engaged in unethical and unprofessional medical practices, and jeopardized the safety of unsuspecting citizens. She also stated that patients who had received unscreened blood transfusions at the facility were being traced as part of the protocol to assess their clinical health status and ensure their well-being.
The statement clarified, “Following the tip-off and subsequent investigations, the enforcement teams of LSBTS and HEFAMAA conducted a joint monitoring exercise in the area, confirming the unwholesome, unprofessional, and unethical medical practices and conduct of the hospital management.”
The law explicitly mandates that no person in Lagos State is allowed to perform a blood transfusion on a patient unless the blood has been screened, tested, labeled by the state blood transfusion committee, and found to be negative for all transmissible diseases, including HIV I and II, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis, and any other diseases as deemed necessary by LSBTS.
Osikomaiya emphasized that both the hospital’s management and any implicated staff members would be subject to prosecution in accordance with the appropriate laws. The agency remains committed to its mission of eradicating unethical blood transfusion practices and continues its efforts to combat the dangerous practice of administering unscreened blood in the state.
