Blood transfusions in hospitals at risk?
By Dilantha Hettige
A shortage of blood transfusion sets in state hospitals is anticipated in the next few days putting the lives of patients at risk after the health authorities failed to make arrangements to import sufficient stocks in time, The Sunday Times learns.

The transfusion sets are used to carry out blood transfusions in cases of emergencies and after operations, but the health authorities are running short with existing stocks due to end in the next few days. The equipment has the blood clotting facility as well.

Usually over 30,000 blood transfusion sets are used islandwide monthly which are ordered on a quarterly basis by the Health Ministry and distributed through the blood banks. 63 blood banks function islandwide.

The stocks are usually imported from the US, but so far the Health Ministry has made no arrangements to import the items with no letters of credit having been opened so far.

The Sunday Times learns that in a bid to avoid a shortage some transfusion sets imported from China which are reported to be sub-standard are to be distributed.
Health Ministry officials were not available for comment.

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