The National Blood Service Agency (NBSA) and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) have agreed to strengthen collaboration to improve blood transfusion services, donor recruitment, research and capacity building.
This followed a courtesy visit by the management of UATH, led by its Chief Medical Director, Prof. Yunusa Thairu, to the Director-General of the NBSA, Prof. Saleh Yuguda.
During the meeting, Prof. Thairu introduced the hospital’s new management team and reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to expanding its partnership with the Agency.
He identified priority areas for collaboration, including safe blood collection and screening, blood component therapy, donor recruitment campaigns, staff training and joint research. He also expressed concern over the high cost of blood in hospitals and said the management was exploring sustainable measures to improve affordability without compromising safety.
The UATH Chief Medical Director also requested the establishment and management of the hospital’s blood bank by the NBSA to improve operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and the overall management of blood services.
Responding, Prof. Yuguda thanked the UATH management for the visit and described the hospital as a strategic partner in promoting safe blood services across the country.
He noted that both institutions are already collaborating on a pilot study on autologous blood transfusion, with UATH serving as one of the participating centres. He also recalled the Agency’s training of UATH personnel during its Haemovigilance and Transfusion Committee workshop last year.
The NBSA Director-General disclosed that the Agency is planning to establish additional blood collection centres nationwide, with Gwagwalada among the locations to benefit. He also said efforts were ongoing to facilitate the registration of the hospital’s blood bank.
Both institutions pledged to deepen their collaboration to improve access to safe blood and quality transfusion services for patients.