Protests erupt over filter issues causing blood wastage for transfusion patients

Several individuals gathered to protest at the Maldives Blood Service building on Saturday night due to increasing issues with filters, leading to the wastage of donated blood for transfusion patients.

Prior to the protest, some blood transfusion patients and their families had shared their concerns on social media regarding the issue.

Highlighting that the issue has been unaddressed for some time, some patients took to social media platforms to note that large amounts of blood are left over in the blood packs, and due to some packs going bad, filters need to be changed, resulting in increased wastage. Patients have called for their rights to be ensured and for a quick, permanent solution to the issue.

Protesters called for the resignation of incompetent officials in charge of the Maldives Blood Service, stating that if they cannot fulfill their responsibilities, they should resign immediately.

Protesters raised their voices while holding boards with various slogans.

The protesters unanimously called for incompetent leaders to resign immediately and for a quick solution to the difficulties they are facing.

A patient affected by the issue stressed that blood collected over two weeks of work had to be discarded due to issues with the filters at the Maldives Blood Service. They added that management remains unbothered by the issue even though they are aware of it, mentioning that in one night, filters for five patients had broken down.

Another concerned blood transfusion patient said that on average, during the ongoing fasting month of Ramadan, about four to five blood packs, nearly half, are discarded every night due to low-quality filters. This not only affects the quality of service but also increases the challenge of finding blood donors during this period.

Patients have stated that as they need to find more donors and receive more frequent transfusions, their hemoglobin levels increase, which could be life-threatening.

Further, patients have expressed that blood is obtained with great difficulty, and having to discard it due to negligence is very unfortunate. They also mentioned that nurses cannot constantly change filters or check for filter problems.