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Paidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
The price of blood in private health institutions will remain at $120 per pint, as the recent subsidy will only cover patients seeking medical care in Government institutions, National Blood Services Zimbabwe (NBSZ) chief executive Ms Lucy Marowa has said.

Ms Marowa noted that the price is a markedly discounted figure from the $161 price tag that obtained before October 2016.

“NBSZ implemented cost-cutting measures across its value chain to reduce the fees from $135 to $100 (in public health institutions),” she said.

“Private health institutions’ user fees were also reduced from $161 to $120.

“However, due to constraints on resources, the reduction of user fees to $50 will be limited to public health institutions.”

Ms Marowa said in addition to internal cost-cutting measures, NBSZ unsuccessfully approached private companies for assistance in cash or kind to further reduce the cost of blood.

“Due to current economic environment, the Service (NBSZ) received limited donations from the corporate world,” she said. “Apart from donations, NBSZ hosted a golf day and breakfast meetings to lure donations and participation.”

Proceeds from the two key events were used to fund recurrent expenditure as they were not sufficient to finance capital expenditure.

Blood donors, who are custodians of the NBSZ, have been complaining over the punitive cost of blood, which had gone beyond the reach of many.

Government recently injected a subsidy of $4,2 million into the NBSZ to bring down the cost of blood from $100 to $50 beginning this month.