The National Blood Service (NBS) has expressed grave concern over the severe challenges affecting its ability to meet the country’s blood demand, citing lack of finances, personnel, and infrastructure as key barriers.
These issues have contributed to a significant shortfall, with the service currently meeting only 60% of the nation’s blood needs.
In an interview, the CEO of the National Blood Service, Shirley Owusu Ofori, highlighted the critical role that adequate funding plays in ensuring the organization’s efficiency.
“Inadequate financial support from the government is deeply affecting our ability to fulfill our mandate,” she said, stressing that the lack of resources has created major setbacks in blood collection and distribution efforts.
Further compounding these challenges, Owusu Ofori revealed that some personnel at blood centers have been found charging patients more than the required fees for blood.
Although the NBS has made several arrests in connection to this malpractice, the absence of fully enforced regulations has hindered the prosecution of offenders.
“We have made a few arrests in the past, but because the regulations are not fully implemented, even though they ended up in the police station, we were unable to prosecute them,” she explained.
“We will clamp down on anyone involved in such illegal activities to ensure the integrity of the service,” she said.
