Kakamega hospital accused of selling donated blood

Allegation is rife that blood donated by Kenyans of goodwill to save lives of patients in need of transfusion is on sale at the Kakamega County Referral Hospital.

It is claimed outpatients pay Sh600 for a pint of blood while inpatients in need of transfusion cough up Sh1,000 for the same.

Patients clearing their bills through the National Health Insurance Fund cover or other private medical covers are asked to pay Sh2,000. This is besides other costs patients in life threatening conditions incur to get blood transfusion.

In addition to the payments, a patient must also avail a blood donor to replace the pint of blood released from the hospital store for any transfusion.

People Daily has established that the trade has become a lucrative venture for many jobless youths who hang around the hospital.

It costs between Sh3,000 and Sh5,000 to hire a donor to replace a pint of blood from the blood bank, which undoubtedly is a private arrangement between the patient and donor.

Contacted, KCGH administrator Hillary Keverenge said though the blood bank is domiciled in the hospital, it is under the management of the Medical Services Department of the Ministry of Health.

“We have no dealings with the blood banks apart from the point of transfusion, where we charge for the medical materials required to get the blood into your veins,” he said.

Kiverenge also confirmed the hospital has lately witnessed an avalanche of prospective blood donors, but moved to clarify that it is normally a private arrangement which they are not involved in.

County acting Director of Medical Budget and Planning Titus Mumia denied the claims, he, however, acknowldeged, that patients are charged Sh1,000 for every pint from the blood bank. “The Sh1,000 is provided for under the County Finance Act. We use it to transport and process the blood. Donated blood must be processed first using reagents which are bought,” he said.