Blood screening challenges threaten patient care at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital

Authorities at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital are grappling with significant challenges in blood screening, severely affecting their ability to provide safe blood for patients.

Despite having adequate blood donations and stock, the hospital's screening capacity is limited, reducing the availability of safe, transfusable blood for critical medical procedures.

Dr. Joseph Epodoi, a consultant surgeon and the acting director of the hospital, explained the difficulties during a press briefing.

"We have enough blood in stock, but our challenge lies in screening it properly to ensure it’s safe for use. This has greatly limited our capacity to provide safe blood to patients in need," Dr. Epodoi stated.

During a visit by our reporter, some patients were overheard expressing concerns about how to urgently obtain the needed blood for their treatment.

In response to the screening challenges, the hospital has adopted alternative measures for certain surgeries.

Dr. Epodoi noted that for planned surgical cases, they now employ a blood conservation method where patients are asked to donate their own blood in advance.

"For surgeries, we ask patients to donate their blood before the operation, which is then administered back to them during the procedure. This helps conserve blood and reduces the reliance on externally sourced blood that we are currently unable to properly screen," he added.

The hospital is appealing for support to enhance its blood screening capacities to meet the growing demand for safe blood, particularly in emergencies and complex medical procedures.

Without immediate intervention, patients face continued risks due to the shortage of adequately screened blood supplies.

This shortage comes at a critical time when regional hospitals are under pressure to improve healthcare delivery, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced blood screening systems.