LSBTS, Haima Health partner on improving blood delivery for sicklers

The Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) has announced its partnership with Haima Health to improve blood supply and delivery for persons living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

Founder of Haima Health, Bukola Bolarinwa announced the launch of the Haima Mobile project at the LSBTS head office, Gbagada General Hospital last week.

With financial support from Control Risks Group, Bolarinwa said Haima Mobile would enhance efficiency of blood delivery, using certified cold-chain dispatch bikes for faster delivery of blood to patients across hospitals in Lagos State.

She disclosed that the bikes would be stationed at the LSBTS facility in Gbagada; ready to dispatch blood as soon as requests comes in.

Expressing her appreciation, Executive Secretary of LSBTS, Dr. Bodunrin Osikomaiya congratulated the founder on the laudable project and emphasized on how the partnership aligns with the mandate of the Agency to improve blood safety and supply for Lagosians through public-private partnerships.

Describing voluntary blood donors as heroes who deserve to be celebrated because the gift they give is the gift of life, she added, “we encourage citizens to join this league of life savers by donating voluntarily.”

She noted that blood donation could also reduce the risk of heart diseases; helps to stimulate production of more blood thus maintaining good health; helps to maintain iron stores at healthy levels which is linked to low cancer risk.

She said blood transfusion is necessary to treat anyone who loses blood from severe injuries, accidents, complications in pregnancy, inherited diseases like sickle disease and hemophilia.

According to her, “anyone that weighs above 45kg can donate 350ml or 50kg to donate 450ml. She added that every two seconds, someone in Nigeria needs a blood transfusion, stressing that people must donate regularly, every three to four months.

She disclosed that unless women are pregnant, lactating, anaemic, or suffering from some medical issue that lowers hemoglobin count, they could donate blood.

Bolarinwa said Haima Health is a non-Governmental Organisation established to ensure that demand for blood is adequately met in Nigeria. Since 2015, she added that Haima Health has partnered with LSBTS on monthly blood drives to improve donor culture among young people.

Haima Health began operations by linking voluntary blood donors with sickle cell patients. It has since expanded support to all patients in need of transfusions, thereby reducing needless stress, expenses and mortality.