“Why Sell Donated Blood For US$200 Per Pint?” Senator Mupfumira Presses Ministry Of Health

The government says it is taking steps to cut the cost of blood transfusions and expand access nationwide, amid concerns that current prices make treatment out of reach for many patients.

The issue was raised in the Senate by Senator Prisca Mupfumira, who asked why blood donated free by citizens is sold for more than US$200 per pint by the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS).

She asked what was being done to ease the burden on patients and whether services could be decentralised so that blood is more readily available in provinces outside Harare.

Responding on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Deputy Minister Sleiman Kwidini admitted the pricing structure was too high for many Zimbabweans.

“The price marked by the National Blood Transfusion Service is very high,” he said, adding that the government had appointed an audit team to review the cost structure.

Kwidini said the review had produced a proposed price of US$80 per pint.

He said pilot blood processing is already underway at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where relatives can donate blood that is processed on site.

The government plans to set up its own large-scale blood processing facilities to reduce dependence on the NBTS.

“What we are looking forward to as a ministry and government is to venture into what is being done by the National Blood Transfusion Service,” Kwidini said, referring to the organisation as an NGO. He said state-run processing would complement the existing system.

He said technical teams are assessing the resources needed to expand processing capacity and decentralise services to provincial hospitals.

At present, all blood collected across the country by the NBTS is processed in Harare.

The government has not said when the expanded services will be rolled out or how they will be funded.

More: CITE