FMC Owerri gets blood screening machine for blood bank

From  Victor Duruamaku Owerri

The Federal Medical Center (FMC) Owerri has procured and commissioned  an ultra modern automated blood screening machine, known as, Architect, 1000 for the screening and preservation of clean and safe blood for it’s blood Bank

Unveiling the new machine , Chief Emmanuel C Iwuanyanwu, who built and donated the blood Bank, thanked the Hospital and the Blood Bank management, for  honouring him, for building and donating the blood Bank to the hospital

He said, “I thank you all for remembering that I built and donated the blood Bank many years ago. This honour has given me a new life”

Chief Iwuanyanwu explained that he was moved to build and donate the blood  Bank by the terrible situations at that time when there was no blood Bank to save people especially, children and nursing mothers

He said, ” I was moved also by passion to rescue dying patients who needed blood transfusion to survive”

Chief Iwuanyanwu called on well to do young men in the society to make one contribution or the other to help mankind pointing out that he built the blood Bank while in his forties

According to h, one does not need to be wealthy or too old before helping the society saying, ” at that time , I also established Iwuanyanwu Ambulance”

Chief Iwuanyanwu, reiterated  his call on young people in this country to decide on what to do to the communities and environment they find themselves

Speaking at the occasion, the Zonal coordinator, National Blood Service Commission, South East Zone, Dr M O Iheanachon explained that the Commission, is the Government Institution charged with the provision of safe quality and  adequate supply of blood and blood products for all who may need in any part of the country

He noted that the transfusion of unsafe blood accounts for up to 10 percent of the HIV transmission in Nigeria as reported by the Federal Ministry of health

According to him, ” the need for the establishment of a well organized and regulated   and  regulated National Blood Service in Nigeria, came up considering the prevalent unavailability and in adequate safe blood and blood products”

He said that the mission of the commission is to have a quality National blood transfusion service that would comply  with international standards and be acknowledged as one of the best in Africa

The Zonal coordinator passionately requested for a stand alone building which will be will be befiting and to be known as National Blood Service Commission South East Zonal Headquarters, Owerri Imo state

In his own address, the Director General, National Blood Service Commission, Dr Omale  Joseph Amedu, said that the National Blood Service Commission Act of 2021 and the National Health Act, of 2014, prohibits the use of rapid screening procedure for all transmission and transmissible Infections(TTIs)

This he further explained led to the provision of automated blood screening equipment projects in collaboration with Abott Laboratories, their agents, “the African Global Nigeria ltd.