Disclaimer: This is an English translation of an Amharic article taken from DW Amharic and is intended solely for information purposes.
DW Amharic – Severe shortage in Amhara Region blood banks
February 27, 2025
Director of Kobo Hospital says it has been difficult for doctors to provide the necessary medical care to patients due to blood shortages. Director of the Woldia blood bank says there is only enough blood for 20 days of emergency medical care.
In the Qidus Lalibela General Hospital which services residents of over 1.5 million people residing in 5 woredas, there is not enough blood for medical care which is causing mothers and children to lose their lives according to the hospital’s director Ato Abenezer Fentie who says, “we are an area which has experienced many problems related to war, and drought and outbreaks resulting from man made and natural causes has created a significant need for blood by mothers and pregnant women who are losing their lives, and both newborn infants and pediatric patients in need of blood are also facing many problems.”
Kobo Hospital Director sister Kebebush says they have faced challenges providing necessary medical treatment for patients due to blood shortages, and she further said though there are doctors with expertise in the hospital the blood shortages have prevented them from providing services.
“There is a severe shortage, the day before yesterday we had to make referrals to Woldia because we had no blood, we had to cancel scheduled surgeries due to the blood shortages, there is a severe blood shortage, now the community has now made blood political.”
Hospitals are not receiving enough blood
Woldia blood bank services director Ato Gashu Derbew says they only have enough blood for emergency medical services, who further says they only have enough blood to last for 20 more days, and though hospitals are requesting blood to treat patients, supply is limited.
“We are now saving it only for emergency patients, it is not enough, we are behind schedule for appointments which can only happen when there is blood, people currently are not donating in the cities, hospitals are asking us for blood and if a hospital were to request 80 we would send 20 or less than that, and if we have none to give they are forced to issue a referral, and in a referral the patient could die from blood loss on the road.”
At this time, war is ongoing between Fano and government forces in various areas of Amhara Region so it has been difficult to gather the necessary blood using the roads, according to the Sekota blood bank services director Ato Kibret who says it is impacting their work.
“The peace situation has caused people to think differently there is no question about it, when we collect blood since the area is along the Lalibela line and Fano operate in neighboring areas we are interrogated by certain individuals about where the blood is being sent and how we are collecting it, which has made blood collection difficult.”
One of the reasons for insufficient blood has been lack of willingness from donor communities however Woldia blood bank services head says the security situation has prevented them from moving from area to area.
“During times of peace we would go all the way to Alamata for work but now we can only manage going to Robit, Gobiye, Kobo and Kobo Hospital but these have all been inaccessible, not much has been done in the city in Habru Woreda, it has stopped in hospitals in Wurgessa Girana, we have not went to Gidan Woreda either, what is close in proximity for us is Sanqa Sirinqa, they denied us even in Woldia and it has not been collected up until now.”
We asked the Ethiopian Blood and Tissue Bank Service executive representative Dr. Melash Gelaw to provide his thoughts on the matter, but he was unwilling but days before in an interview with a domestic media network he had said patients were losing their lives as a result of severe blood shortages in Amhara Region.
Isayas Gelaw
Hirut Melese
Yohannes Gebreegziabher
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