LUTH says voluntary blood donors saved 20,000 lives in one year, unveils new safety tech

Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) says voluntary blood donors helped save more than 20,000 lives in the last year.

The hospital made the announcement at its World Blood Donor Day event on Monday. It also unveiled a new piece of technology — the IH500 Immunohaematology System — that it says is one of the most advanced blood compatibility testing machines in West Africa.

LUTH is one of Nigeria's biggest referral hospitals. It uses between 20,000 and 21,000 units of blood every year for trauma cases, cancer patients, surgeries, obstetric emergencies, and children with severe anaemia.

"In the past year alone, voluntary blood donors helped us save over 20,000 lives," said Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, the hospital's Chief Medical Director. He spoke through the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Oluwole Ayodeji.

Adeyemo said Nigeria's blood supply still isn't enough. Many hospitals run on just 24-hour reserves instead of the recommended 10-day stock. The country still depends heavily on family replacement donations and emergency appeals.

LUTH has recruited more than 2,500 new donors in recent years. Donor retention has jumped from 10 per cent to 60 per cent in 24 months, thanks to advocacy in churches, schools, workplaces, and communities.

But the numbers are still low. Adewale Adeyinka, who coordinates the hospital's Voluntary Donor Recruitment Unit, said only about three out of every 100 eligible Nigerians donate blood voluntarily. Voluntary donors currently provide just 12 per cent of LUTH's blood supply.

Adeyinka warned against paid donation. He said commercial donors may hide medical conditions or risky behaviour, making the blood unsafe.

"Blood is not a luxury in LUTH; it is a lifeline," said Prof. Titilope Adeyemo, Head of Haematology and Blood Transfusion. "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 called on Nigerians to become regular voluntary donors, not just one-time emergency givers. "One donation may save three lives today, but repeated donation builds a sustainable system for tomorrow," she said.

New technology to reduce transfusion errors

The IH500 system automates blood grouping, antibody screening, and cross-matching. It can process up to 96 samples at once, with results ready in under one hour. Manual methods take longer and carry a higher risk of human error.

Prof. Titilope Adeyemo said the machine will 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," she said.

Pharm. Chijioke Onyia, Managing Director of Prime Healthcare Limited, said the IH500 is Nigeria's first fully automated walk-away blood grouping and cross-matching system. It's only the second such system in West Africa. His company will continue to provide technical support.

The system positions LUTH as a reference centre for transfusion safety in the region.