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Locadia Mavhudzi Midlands Correspondent
The Ministry of Health and Child Care is considering scrapping user fees for blood accessed by public health institutions with effect from the end of this month.

This follows a $4,2 million subsidy that Government gave the National Blood Service of Zimbabwe in January, which resulted in blood costs being reduced from $80 to the current $50 per pint of blood.

National Blood Service of Zimbabwe public relations manager Miss Esther Masunda said Government will inject more money to make NBSZ supply blood to public health institutions at no cost.

“The Ministry of Health and Child Care has advised they will be channelling more funds towards reducing the user fees to make the blood free for public health institutions with effect from end of June 2018,” she said.

“This is a great achievement and we applaud the ministry for their hard work and energy in this area.”

Miss Masunda said her organisation had also partnered with Kidzcan, an organisation that takes care of children living with cancer to reduce their cost of buying blood.

“For all blood ordered by Kidzcan, NBSZ covers half of the cost for every unit of blood,” she said.

Miss Masunda also applauded the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa for spearheading cancer screening campaign, adding that her involvement has resulted escalation of women’s access to health services.

Through the blood donor benefit policy, NBSZ has been able to assist its regular blood donors and their beneficiaries in accessing blood and blood products.

Products and services worth $35 000 were issued to beneficiaries of blood and blood products last year.

Midlands will host this year’s World Blood Donor Day on June 14 under the theme “blood donation as an action of solidarity.”