NBSA moves to harmonize blood cost nationwide

…as experts call for ethical practice and fair pricing in blood services

The federal government, through the National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), has initiated moves to harmonise the cost of blood across hospitals in Nigeria as part of efforts to ensure fairness, transparency, and accessibility for patients in need of transfusion.

The Director General of the Agency, Professor Saleh Yuguda, disclosed this in Abuja during a workshop organized for Hospital Transfusion Committee (HTC) members. 

He said the harmonisation effort became necessary following public outcry over the high and inconsistent charges placed on blood by hospitals across the country.

According to him, many patients have complained of being subjected to what they describe as an “undue financial burden,” with some reportedly paying for blood that is not eventually used—without refunds.

“Blood is a public good. What we are doing is to ensure that the system works in a fair and transparent manner, so that Nigerians can have access to safe blood when they need it, without being exploited,” Professor Yuguda said.

He explained that although some stakeholders have called for the introduction of full government subsidy on blood, a partial subsidy already exists. 

“The government currently bears the major cost involved in the collection, screening, and processing of blood,” he said.

The NBSA boss noted that the Agency’s next step is to engage with hospital administrators and state health authorities to align their pricing systems with national guidelines once the harmonization framework is finalized.

In the interim, Professor Yuguda hinted that the Agency has opened discussions with manufacturers and suppliers of blood consumables—particularly producers of blood bags—to address the issue of high operating costs. The talks, he said, are aimed at “centralizing and stabilizing the prices of these essential items to reflect Nigeria’s economic realities.”

He emphasised that a more affordable and predictable pricing regime for consumables would help hospitals deliver transfusion services more efficiently and ethically, thereby reducing the burden on patients.

Adding his voice to the debate, Professor Philip Olatunji, a professor of haematology and transfusion medicine, decried what he described as the growing commercialization of blood services in some facilities. 

He warned that prioritising profit over humanity defeats the essence of medical practice.

“There must be a sense of good conscience in practice,” he stated. “You cannot claim to exist to save lives and then end up losing lives because of your revenue drive. The blood service should not be a profit-making venture; it should be a life-saving responsibility.”

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Professor Olatunji called on healthcare providers to strike a balance between sustainability and compassion, adding that “moderation is a virtue the system must rediscover.”

Despite the positive outlook, some health policy experts at the workshop cautioned that implementing a uniform price structure may prove challenging within Nigeria’s deregulated healthcare system, where hospitals operate under diverse administrative and financial frameworks.

They, however, agreed that the NBSA’s harmonization plan represents a step in the right direction toward building a more transparent and equitable blood transfusion service nationwide.

The workshop, attended by hospital transfusion officers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals, also discussed the importance of establishing active Hospital Transfusion Committees to ensure compliance with national policies, improve blood utilization, and promote patient safety.

For the NBSA, harmonizing the cost of blood is not just an administrative reform—it is a moral imperative to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s transfusion system and uphold the sanctity of human life.