Deploys fully automated IH500 blood compatibility testing technology
By Chioma Obinna
The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has said that voluntary blood donors helped save more than 20,000 lives within one year, as the hospital intensifies efforts to address Nigeria’s chronic blood shortage and improve transfusion safety.
The hospital also unveiled a state-of-the-art fully automated IH500 Immunohaematology System, described as one of the most advanced blood compatibility testing technologies in West Africa, aimed at reducing transfusion errors and ensuring safer blood for patients.
Speaking at the World Blood Donor Day Seminar and Awards Programme themed “One Drop of Humanity: Give Blood, Save Lives,” the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, represented by the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Oluwole Ayodeji, said the hospital handles huge blood demand as one of Nigeria’s largest referral centres.
He said LUTH uses between 20,000 and 21,000 units of blood annually for trauma cases, cancer patients, surgical procedures, obstetric emergencies, and children with severe anaemia and other life-threatening conditions. “In the past year alone, voluntary blood donors helped us save over 20,000 lives. These donors are central to every successful surgery, emergency intervention, and maternal survival from postpartum haemorrhage,” he said.
Adeyemo said Nigeria’s blood supply remains inadequate, with many hospitals relying on 24-hour reserves instead of the recommended 10-day stock level. He noted continued dependence on family replacement donation and emergency appeals.
He added that LUTH has recruited more than 2,500 new donors in recent years, while donor retention has improved from 10 per cent to 60 per cent within 24 months through sustained advocacy in religious centres, schools, workplaces and communities.
On the IH500 system, he said it represents a major improvement in transfusion safety.
“It is a lifesaving technology that ensures safer and precisely matched blood. The IH500 automates blood grouping, antibody screening and cross-matching, reducing human error and transfusion risks.”
The system, he added, can process up to 96 samples at once, with results available in under one hour, compared to longer manual processes.
Speaking, the Head of Haematology and Blood Transfusion Department, Prof. Titilope Adeyemo, said the era of depending on crisis-driven blood donations must end. “Blood is not a luxury in LUTH; it is a lifeline. We manage trauma cases, childhood cancers, sickle cell disease, obstetric emergencies and complex surgeries daily. Yet, for years, we have operated within a cycle of scarcity,” she said.
She called on Nigerians to embrace regular voluntary blood donation, insisting that repeat donors provide safer and more sustainable blood supplies.
“One donation may save three lives today, but repeated donation builds a sustainable system for tomorrow. We want Nigerians to move beyond one-time emergency donations to becoming regular voluntary donors,” she added.
She explained that the IH500 technology would improve precision in blood compatibility testing and reduce fatal transfusion reactions caused by wrong blood matching.
“In the past, much of the testing was manual, and although handled by skilled scientists, manual processes carry risks of human error and delayed results. The IH500 changes everything. It enhances accuracy, speed, traceability and patient safety,” she explained.
The Voluntary Donor Recruitment Unit Coordinator, Mr. Adewale Adeyinka, said only about three in every 100 eligible Nigerians donate blood voluntarily, describing the situation as a national concern.
He said voluntary donors currently account for about 12 per cent of LUTH’s blood supply, stressing the need for increased awareness.
He also warned against paid donation, saying commercial donors may hide medical conditions or risky behaviour, making blood unsafe for patients.
Managing Director of Prime Healthcare Limited, Pharm. Chijioke Onyia, said the IH500 is Nigeria’s first fully automated walk-away blood grouping and cross-matching system and only the second in West Africa. He said the technology positions LUTH as a reference centre for transfusion safety in the region and confirmed continued technical support for the equipment.
