Lagos: Reduce Cost Of Blood, NMA Tells Sanwo-Olu

Lagos: Reduce cost of blood, NMA tells Sanwo-Olu. Mr Esegine said, “We were told that the government withdrew the subsidy on blood and that whatever subsidy there is cannot be extended to the private sector.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) have appealed to the Lagos State Government to develop mechanisms for reducing the unit cost of blood in the state.

The Lagos Chairman of NMA and ANPMP, Dr Babajide Saheed and Dr Jonathan Esegine, made the appeal in separate interviews on Saturday.

A circular dated November15, 2024, conveyed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s approval for an increase in the cost of blood screening for transfusion transmissible infections by private healthcare facilities.
The circular signed by Mrs Bukola Odoe, Special Adviser, to the Governor on Public-Private Partnership directed an increase in the cost of screening a pint of blood from N5,000 to N15,000 for the three existing private blood screening partners (Darlez, Banner & Solawunmi).

The circular further directed the Ministry of Health and the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service (LSBTS) to ensure that the new price regime takes effect on November 18, 2024.
Every unit of blood collected by registered blood banks must be sent to one of the LSBTS-established screening centres for mandatory testing.

The LSBTS uses automated systems to screen every unit of blood for transfusion-transmissible infections, including HIV type 1 and 2, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and syphilis, in line with international standards.

Consequently, members of the Blood Bank Society of Nigeria (BBSN), Lagos State Branch, held an online general meeting on November 17, 2024, during which they adjusted the prices for the issuance of blood to their customers.
According to them, the action was triggered by the state government’s sudden increase in the blood screening fee.

Thereafter, BBSN pricing for the issuance of blood saw a unit of positive blood rise from N25,000 to N60,000, while a unit of negative blood rose from N30,000 to N75,000.

Findings revealed that the unit cost of blood sells as high as N100,000 in some laboratories across the state.
One year after this development, Mr Saheed disclosed that many patients are suffering, struggling to survive and groaning under the new price regime, describing the unit cost of blood as ‘crazily expensive.’

Mr Saheed urged the government to regulate and subsidise the unit cost of blood, saying, “We cannot begin to commercialise and profit from an essential commodity like blood. He stated, “There are so many vulnerable members of society that depend on blood transfusions to stay alive at one time or the other. Most of these patients need multiple units of blood depending on their medical procedure.

“For example, a patient who requires three units of negative blood will spend over N200,000, this is minus the cost of the procedure and other expenses that may come up. Anything you are doing as a government, make it affordable and accessible so that every patient will be able to get it at the nearest place.

“The economy is having a biting effect on citizens. Many citizens are struggling to feed themselves, and those who are sick can barely afford their treatment costs. The government must show empathy in governance and policies.”

He further said that the high unit cost of blood would encourage commercialisation, lamenting that there was no regulation for controlling how blood is sourced in Lagos, especially financially induced donation.

“Blood is life. It should be given freely. We need to ask ourselves the questions, is it the bag, screening or the reagents that justify the sale of blood at N50,000 upward?” Saheed said.
Similarly, Mr Esegine disclosed that the association’s engagement with the government’s representative on the issue was unproductive.

Mr Esegine said, “We were told that the government withdrew the subsidy on blood and that whatever subsidy there is cannot be extended to the private sector.

“That is a very sorry statement to make because you are not subsidising any private sector or private practitioners, you are subsidising the health of the people.

“We are talking of poor maternal health individuals, we are talking about sickle cell anaemia children that need blood transfusions from time to time.
“We are talking of obstetric emergencies where you have haemorrhage as one of the major causes of mortality in women. So blood is such an essential commodity that cannot be allowed to be used as an equal of trade, to be profited from.”
The chairman emphasised that the private sector is a promoter of health, salvaging emergency situations, and servicing 85 per cent of Lagos residents with health services.

Sanwo-Olu

“You need blood, we get the blood from those who are providing blood service and we give the patient exactly the way it is given to us. We don’t do markup on blood transfusions.

“So when the government says it can’t subsidise the private sector, that is a very tragic statement to make and I would want the government to have a rethink,” Esegine said.
The cost of a unit of blood varies per laboratory, location and state.

In Ibadan, a unit of blood goes for N20,000 at the University College Hospital (UCH), costs N10,000 at the National Blood Transfusion Agency, while prices range between N20,000 to N30,000 in other laboratories.

WHO Urges For Legal Safeguards For AI Use In Healthcare

WHO urges for legal safeguards for AI use in healthcare. WHO urged countries to develop AI strategies that align with public health goals.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is accelerating in healthcare, while noting that basic legal safety nets that protect patients and health workers are lacking.

The warning comes in a report by the UN World Health Organisation’s (WHO) office in Europe, where AI is already helping doctors to spot diseases, reduce administrative tasks and communicate with patients.
“The technology is reshaping how care is delivered, data are interpreted, and resources are allocated.
“But without clear strategies, data privacy, legal guardrails and investment in  AI literacy, we risk deepening inequities rather than reducing them,” Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The report is the first comprehensive assessment of how AI is being adopted and regulated in health systems across the region.
The survey was sent to 53 countries and 50 participated.
Although nearly all recognise how AI could transform healthcare – from diagnostics to disease surveillance to personalised medicine – only four countries have a dedicated national strategy and a further seven are developing one.

Some countries are taking proactive steps, such as Estonia, where electronic health records, insurance data and population databases are linked in a unified platform that supports AI tools.
Finland also has invested in AI training for health workers, while Spain is piloting AI for early disease detection in primary healthcare.

However, across the region, regulation is struggling to keep pace with technology.
43 countries, 86 per cent, report legal uncertainty as their top barrier to AI adoption, while 39 – that’s 78 per cent – cite financial affordability.

Meanwhile, less than 10 per cent of countries have liability standards for AI in health, critical for determining who is responsible in the event an AI system makes a mistake or causes harm.

“Despite these challenges, there is a broad consensus on the policy measures that could facilitate the uptake of AI,” the report said.

“Nearly all Member States viewed clear liability rules for manufacturers, deployers and users of AI systems as a key enabler. Similarly, guidance that ensures transparency, verifiability and explainability of AI solutions is considered essential for building trust in AI-driven outcomes.”

WHO Urges For Legal Safeguards For AI Use In Healthcare

WHO urged countries to develop AI strategies that align with public health goals.

They were also encouraged to invest in an AI-ready workforce, strengthen legal and ethical safeguards, engage with the public and improve cross-border data governance.

“AI is on the verge of revolutionising healthcare, but its promise will only be realised if people and patients remain at the centre of every decision.

“The choices we make now will determine whether AI empowers patients and health workers or leaves them behind,” Mr Kluge said.

Rep. Free Medical Outreach : Over 74 Surgeries; 264 Service Utilizations, Ors Recorded

Rep. Free Medical Outreach : over 74 surgeries; 264 service utilizations, Ors Recorded. In continuation of his avowed resolve to provide basic healthcare services to his constituents, the 2nd edition of Rep Rep. Mark Esset’s Free Comprehensive Medical Outreach for constituents of Uyo/Uruan/Nsit Atai/Ibesikpo Asutan Federal Constituency has been concluded with a visit to Uyo Local Government Area.

The outreach, sponsored by the erudite parliamentarian, Rep. Mark Esset Ph.D, was a 4-day free medical outreach, hosted at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Ikot Ayan, Ikono Ward 1 Uyo LGA, from Wednesday 12 to Saturday 15 November, 2025, which recorded over 600 medical consultations – with drugs dispensed; 74 surgical interventions; 264 service utilizations – including eye checks/eyeglasses distribution, laboratory investigations, drugs dispensing and health betterment services.

With a massive turnout of patients to the health facility, the medical personnel expertly attended to the patients, as testimonies and heartwarming appreciation from beneficiaries of the free medical services to the sponsor and his family abound.

Free Medical Outreach

According to Mr. Emmanuel Prince Emediong, a native of Ikot Iko, Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, said that he read about the outreach on social media, he decided to give it a try but surprisingly, he was operated and the operation to the glory of God was successful. He prayed God to bless the sponsor and his family, and give him the grace and love to impact more lives positively

Another beneficiary of free surgery, Mr. Aniefiok Sunday Akpan of Nung Ukim Ikono, Uyo LGA, expressed gratitude to God for using the Federal lawmaker, Mark Esset to get him a surgical operation, free of charge, praying God to continue to bless him and his family for the benignity.

For Mrs. Comfort Okon Ekanem from Essien Udim, who brought her 4year old son and was operated for hernia, testified that the operation was successful and that she was not demanded to pay a dime for