… Deploys fully automated IH500 blood compatibility testing technology
… Honors voluntary donors
By Chioma Obinna

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, on Monday disclosed that blood donors helped save more than 20,000 lives within one year as the hospital intensified efforts to tackle Nigeria’s chronic blood shortage crisis and improve transfusion safety.

The hospital also unveiled a state-of-the-art fully automated IH500 Immunohaematology System, described as one of the most advanced blood compatibility testing technologies in West Africa, aimed at reducing transfusion errors and ensuring safer blood for patients.

Addressing journalists at the World Blood Donor Day Seminar and Awards Programme themed: “One Drop of Humanity: Give Blood, Save Live”, in Lagos, the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, represented by the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Oluwole Ayodeji, said the institution was battling enormous pressure as one of Nigeria’s largest tertiary hospitals receiving referrals from across the country.

According to him, the hospital currently records between 20,000 and 21,000 units of blood usage annually for trauma victims, cancer patients, surgical cases, mothers with severe bleeding after childbirth, and children battling anaemia and other life-threatening conditions.

“In the past year alone, voluntary blood donors helped us save over 20,000 lives. These donors are the silent heartbeat behind every successful surgery, every emergency intervention, and every mother rescued from postpartum haemorrhage, and every child kept alive through transfusion support.”

Adeyemo, however, warned that despite the progress, Nigeria’s blood supply remained dangerously inadequate, stressing that many hospitals still survive on barely 24-hour blood reserves.

“For years, our blood supply has been unpredictable. We still rely heavily on family replacement donors and emergency appeals. At the moment, many hospitals can barely sustain blood supply beyond 24 hours when ideally we should have reserves that can last at least 10 days,” he said.

He revealed that LUTH had recruited over 2,500 new blood donors in recent years while donor retention improved from 10 per cent to 60 per cent over the last 24 months through aggressive advocacy campaigns targeting religious centres, schools, corporate organisations and communities.

The CMD also announced the deployment of the fully automated IH500 blood compatibility testing system, describing it as a major leap in patient safety and transfusion medicine in Nigeria.

“This is not just another machine. It is a lifesaving technology that guarantees safer, compatible and precisely matched blood for patients. The IH500 automates blood grouping, antibody screening and cross-matching, significantly reducing human error and transfusion risks,” he stated.

According to him, the new system processes up to 96 samples simultaneously with results available in less than one hour, compared to the longer turnaround time associated with manual testing.

He added: “Unsafe blood kills. Patients should not survive bleeding only to die from incompatible transfusion or transfusion-transmissible infections. This technology places LUTH among the leading transfusion centres in sub-Saharan Africa.”

The hospital appealed to Nigerians between ages 18 and 65 who are medically fit to embrace regular blood donation, stressing that one pint of blood could save multiple lives.

“No patient should die because safe blood is unavailable,” Ayodeji declared.

Speaking, the Head of Haematology and Blood Transfusion Department, Prof. Titilope Adeyemo, said the era of depending on crisis-driven blood donations must end. “Blood is not a luxury in LUTH; it is a lifeline. We manage trauma cases, childhood cancers, sickle cell disease, obstetric emergencies and complex surgeries daily. Yet, for years, we have operated within a cycle of scarcity,” she said.

Adeyemo called on Nigerians to embrace regular voluntary blood donation, insisting that repeat donors provide safer and more sustainable blood supplies.

“One donation may save three lives today, but repeated donation builds a sustainable system for tomorrow. We want Nigerians to move beyond one-time emergency donations to becoming regular voluntary donors,” she added.

She explained that the IH500 technology would improve precision in blood compatibility testing and reduce fatal transfusion reactions caused by wrong blood matching.

“In the past, much of the testing was manual, and although handled by skilled scientists, manual processes carry risks of human error and delayed results. The IH500 changes everything. It enhances accuracy, speed, traceability and patient safety,” she explained.

The Voluntary Donor Recruitment Unit Coordinator, Mr. Adewale Adeyinka, lamented that only three out of every 100 eligible Nigerians currently donate blood voluntarily.

“This gap is not just statistics; it is a national emergency. Blood cannot be manufactured. Human beings must willingly donate it,” he said.

Adeyinka said voluntary blood donation currently accounts for only about 12 per cent of the hospital’s blood supply, far below global recommendations.

He said the hospital had intensified youth-focused awareness campaigns in churches, mosques, tertiary institutions and workplaces to demystify fears surrounding blood donation.

“Many people wrongly believe blood donation weakens the body or exposes them to infections. That is false. Blood donation is safe, takes less than one hour, and the body replaces the donated blood naturally within a short time,” he explained.

He further warned against commercial blood donation practices, saying paid donors often conceal critical health information, thereby endangering recipients.

“When people donate blood for money, they may lie about illnesses or risky behaviours just to qualify. That makes such blood unsafe. The solution is to build a strong base of regular voluntary donors so hospitals are never desperate,” he added.

Also speaking, Managing Director of Prime Healthcare Limited, Pharm. Chijioke Onyia, described the IH500 as Nigeria’s first fully automated walk-away blood grouping and cross-matching system.
According to him, the technology represents a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s blood transfusion services.

“This is the first fully automated blood grouping and cross-matching system installed in Nigeria and only the second of its kind in West Africa. LUTH has clearly positioned itself as a reference centre for transfusion safety in the region,” Onyia said.

He assured that technical support, reagents and maintenance for the equipment would be sustained to ensure uninterrupted operations.