Only health officers must transport blood – Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health has directed the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to ensure that the transportation of blood from one health facility to another is done by only qualified health professionals and not relatives of patients.

This was contained in the report of a five-member committee that probed the sale of alleged HIV-Syphilis-infested blood to the son of a patient by the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital late last year.

Mr. Addo-Kwabla Evans accused KATH, in a Facebook post, of selling two units of unwholesome blood to his sick mother.

A press release by the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, following the incident and the recommendations of the investigative committed, directed that only competent and qualified staff should be employed at private and public laboratories to handle blood.

The statement also admonished the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) to put in place systems for continuous training of staff in the screening of blood for transfusion.

The committee added that all health facilities should use Food and Drugs Authority-approved approved kits and reagents in carrying out their work.