THE National Blood Services of Zimbabwe (NBSZ) will continue demanding cash upfront from government hospitals for blood supplies as the health institutions have only managed to pay half of the $ 1,6 million they owe the blood bank.
Report by Gamma Mudarikiri
NBSZ public affairs manager Esther Massundah told NewsDay yesterday that government hospitals have only managed to pay $800 000. “We will continue demanding cash upfront from clients who now can buy blood direct from us,” she said. “This is a temporary measure to be in place until the debt has been reduced significantly.”
As of January this year, government hospitals owed NBSZ over $1,6 million for blood supplies.
The delay in payment by the hospitals was negatively affecting operations of the blood bank.
As a result of the development, patients who need blood transfusion are now resorting to buying blood directly from NBSZ as most government hospitals are running out of stocks. Blood donors are exempted from paying for blood.
NBSZ supplies blood and blood products to 46 government, 14 mission and 35 private hospitals across the country. The government hospitals constitute 80% of the NBSZ’s clients. Massundah said although private hospitals also owed the blood bank, their debt was insignificant as the costs of buying the blood were covered by medical aid schemes.
Massundah said NBSZ had engaged the Health and Child Welfare ministry which understood their plight and had committed to clearing the debt inspite of the financial constraints the government was facing.
