DIPLOMAN TIMES

The Edo State Government has commenced steps toward establishing a State Blood Transfusion Service while strengthening measures against quackery in medical laboratory practice, with the State Laboratory Technical Working Group preparing recommendations for the proposed blood-service structure.

The Edo State Government has commenced steps toward establishing a State Blood Transfusion Service as part of a wider effort to improve blood-supply arrangements and strengthen oversight of medical laboratory practice. Commissioner for Health Dr. Cyril Adams Oshiomhole disclosed the development during an engagement with the State Laboratory Technical Working Group. The meeting also addressed collaboration among health-sector stakeholders and the need to curb unauthorised or untrained participation in laboratory practice. The reported development is at the stage of preparatory work and recommendations; the source does not state that the proposed Blood Transfusion Service has already been established or begun full operations.

The State Laboratory Technical Working Group is positioned within a broader national effort to promote uniform standards and quality in medical laboratory services. Its chairman, Professor Dennis E. Agbonlahor FAS, explained that the state group was established as the Edo version of the national body associated with Federal Ministry of Health efforts. According to his account, guidelines have been provided to guide laboratory operations according to acceptable standards, and the group has already begun implementing some of those guidelines. The group is expected to submit additional recommendations to the health commissioner to guide the establishment of the state blood transfusion service.

Blood availability was identified as a significant component of effective healthcare delivery because several categories of patients may require timely access to safe blood. Agbonlahor specifically cited women experiencing childbirth complications, newborns with severe anaemia, accident victims and patients undergoing major surgery. His comments were framed around the need for safe and quality-assured blood and a system capable of supporting healthcare facilities. The source also identifies weaknesses in the current arrangement, including fragmentation, inconsistent quality control and supply deficits. These observations were made by the chairman of the technical working group and are therefore reported as his assessment of the existing system.

The proposed response involves moving from what Agbonlahor described as ad-hoc and unregulated blood banking toward a more structured and centralised arrangement. The technical working group is expected to provide recommendations that can inform the government's next steps. The meeting also considered laboratory reporting, with the chairman stressing that reliable laboratory results are important to clinical decisions ranging from routine diagnosis to major surgery. In parallel, he called for stronger action against unauthorised and untrained personnel whose activities could compromise healthcare quality. The commissioner encouraged stakeholders to cooperate in building a stronger health system, linking the laboratory oversight work with the broader health-sector objective.

As of September 30, 2026, the confirmed position is that Edo has begun preparatory steps toward establishing a State Blood Transfusion Service and is implementing laboratory-service guidelines through its State Laboratory Technical Working Group. Recommendations for the proposed blood-service structure remain under development, so establishment and operational commencement should not be treated as completed. The government is also pursuing stronger measures against quackery in medical laboratory practice. The next identifiable stage is the submission and consideration of the technical group's recommendations, after which any formal establishment and implementation of the blood transfusion service would require further action.