Indications from the World Health Organisation WHO suggests that Nigeria needs an average of 1.8 million pints of blood annually to keep the health of its citizens safe and sound. The figure no doubt is a far cry from the recent submission by the National Blood Transfusion Service that it collects only 500,000 pints of blood every year, leaving a shortfall of about 73.3 percent.
The development however calls for concern especially as Nigeria annually joins the rest of the world to commemorate the World Blood Donor day,a global event aimed to raise awareness on the importance of blood to human life and medical treatments.
Some Nigerians in their reaction blamed the situation on the attitude of some health practitioners who indiscriminately peg the price of blood from the reach of the poor irespective of the free blood donation window. Others in their submission advocated for more free will blood donation as part of measures to close the present gap. They further advised the government to create more awareness on blood donation by individuals.
