Zimbabwe's blood reserves dry up

Zimbabwe's blood reserves dry up

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWEANS have stopped donating blood because the country’s National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is no longer able to provide refreshments after each donation, which are also seen as an incentive.

The refreshments, usually biscuits and a soft drink, used to be provided to blood donors – attracting valuable donations from young adults.

Zimbabwe is going through an acute shortage of food products after imposed government price freezes and a crippling shortage of hard currency necessary for imports.

Emmanuel Masvikeni, the NBSZ’s programmes officer, said they had not been spared by the raging economic crisis.

“We failed to secure refreshments critical after donors have given blood, and the country is likely to suffer a serious blood shortage,” he said.

The blood shortages look set to restrict the country’s health services in dealing with major crises like road accidents and women who suffer complications during or after delivery.

Masvikeni also revealed the NBSZ had temporarily stopped importing Rhesugam required by pregnant women whose blood types fall under Rhesus Negative and are carrying Rhesus Positive foetuses.

The country imports the Rhesugam (Anti-D) from South Africa but NBSZ said they had cut deliveries owing to the unavailability of foreign currency.

Rhesus Negative pregnant women must be injected with Rhesugam within 48 hours of giving birth to a baby with a Rhesus Positive blood type.

Health experts explained this was because the body system of a Rhesus Negative woman regarded a Rhesus Positive baby as a foreign body and infects the mother with anti bodies during pregnancy or at birth.

“If not injected the Rhesugam,” a medical expert explained, “the infection, which will remain in the mother’s body, would not harm the mother or the child but would destroy all the children to be conceived years later.”

Masvikeni confirmed some pregnant women suffering from this rare medical complication needed urgent assistance.

"We are unable to significantly help them at the moment. An arrangement we have made on their behalf is that patients or hospitals requiring Rhesugam should obtain a Pro Forma invoice from us. They will then make payments to the suppliers in South Africa through their bank," he said.

Without disclosing the exact amount the product costs, Masvikeni said upon admission of proof of such payment, NBSZ would provide the product as soon as it is shipped from South Africa.

Zimbabwe is in its eight year of recession marked by rampant inflation, officially pegged at close to 7000%.

President Robert Mugabe’s government refuses to accept blame for the economic collapse, pointing at what it claims are economic sanctions imposed by Western countries.

His critics, however, say corruption, uncontrolled expenditure and a chaotic seizure of commercial farmland held by a white minority conjured the dramatic economic decline.
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