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.
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