Blood Donation and Transfusion Guidelines for Private Hospitals and Health Clinics in Uganda

Blood Donation and Transfusion Guidelines for Private Hospitals and Health Clinics in Uganda

Introduction:

Some private health providers would like to participate in the storage and distribution of blood so as to make the service more effective for their benefit.However collection would likely still be run by the Ministry of Health (MOH), amid fears that potential donors would be put off if they believed their free act of giving blood was going to boost the profits of private health facilities. Privatization of this service needs to be carefully considered and monitored. Several units of blood are collected each day and are distributed to both public and private patients who need transfusions or treatment for those who have had surgery or been in accidents.

Private hospitals and private health clinics are encouraged to take extra precautions to prevent complications in blood transfusion processes or services. A private healthcare facility or service providing blood transfusion and blood donation programmes must ensure the safety of the donors and recipients, and should follow up criteria as well as standards for blood donor recruitment, selection and care. Such criteria and standards should be consistent with the ministry’s Code of Ethics for Blood Donation and Transfusion.

Appropriate controls are required to verify that blood transfusions practices meet international standards and that guidelines issued in accordance with the Code are followed.It is compulsory for private healthcare facilities to have an agreement with blood banks or government facilities to supply blood and blood products when the need arises. Blood bank services, blood transfusion services or blood donation programmes must adhere to the standard blood donation guidelines.

Private providers should require prospective blood donors to provide accurate answers in the donor questionnaire and not to use donation sites to test their HIV status. Ensuring the safety and availability of blood is the responsibility of the health provider and individual blood donors. Each healthcare facility that conducts blood donation must assess prospective donors individually for his/her suitability to donate blood using a well-structured questionnaire during the pre-donation interview.

Import and Export of Natural Human Blood and Blood Product:

No person shall import or export natural human blood or bloodproduct for transfusion purposes unless he holds a certificate issued by the Ministry of Health.

Issue of Certificate to Import and Export Natural Human Blood and Blood product:

(1)   The Director General may, on application made in the prescribed form and upon payment of a prescribed fee, issue a certificate authorizing any person, subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be imposed –

(a)        To import or export blood products for transfusion purposes; or

(b)        To import or export natural human blood for transfusion purposes.

(2)   A certificate issued as above may at any time be revoked by notice in writing.

(3)   Upon receipt of the notice under subsection (2) from the Director General the person to whom the certificate under subsection (1) is issued, may submit representations to the Director General within such time as may be determined by Director General in the notice.

(4)   After the expiry of the time determined in the notice for the making of representation and after considering any representation made under subsection (3) the Director General may

a)      revoke the certificate;

b)      issue a warning and give directions to the holder of the certificate to take any action to the satisfaction of the Director General; or take no further action.

Consent to test Blood from Donors:

The person in charge of a private healthcare facility or service intending to test blood from a donor shall obtain the donor's written consent to test his blood for such diseases as may be specified by the Director General from time to time and in accordance with such procedures as may be specified.

Blood Transfusion Services:

Storage Facilities:

a)      All private hospitals, private health clinics and private ambulatory surgical care centres and all other medical facilities providing emergency care services regularly or surgical services, shall maintain proper blood storage facilities as may be prescribed.

b)      The storage facilities shall be under the adequate control and supervision of the person in charge of the private healthcare facility or service.

c)      Blood and blood products in the premises of such facility or service shall be stored in refrigerators.

d)     Refrigerators used or intended to be used for storing blood and blood products shall have an adequate alarm system and shall be regularly inspected and otherwise shall be safe and adequate for the amount of blood and blood products to be stored.

Minimum blood supply:

Every private hospital, private health clinic and private ambulatory surgical care centre, and any other private healthcare facility providing emergency services regularly or surgical services,shall maintain a minimum blood supply in its premises at all times for its daily use or be in a position to obtain blood quickly from other licensed blood banks or Government facilities for its daily needs.

Maintain records of receipt and disposition of blood:

Every private hospital, private health clinic and private ambulatory surgical care centre and any other private healthcare facility providing emergency services regularly or surgical services shall maintain records indicating the receipt and disposition of all blood and blood products provided to patients in its premises.

Transfusion reactions:

The person in charge or the licensee of every private hospital, private health clinic and private ambulatory surgical care centre and any other private healthcare facility providing emergency services regularly or surgical services shall investigate all transfusion reactions occurring in its premises.