University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) has begun the process of blood separation to cater for Nigerians who go abroad for such medical treatment.
Chief Medical Director, Professor Etete Peters, disclosed this in Uyo when UUTH board Chairman, Iretioluwa Oniyide, commissioned medical equipment donated by Safe Blood Foundation (SBF) of Sacramento, California, United States.
Peters said in the past, whole blood was the only preparation that could be administered to replace red cells, platelets, coagulation factors in addition to what patient required, which led to the administration of unwanted cells or plasma constituents.
He explained that significant advance in transfusion medicine was made when techniques became available for separation of blood in a closed system and a patient could be administered specific replacement therapy.
Today, he added, whole blood can be separated into various blood components and further derivatives can be obtained from plasma by a process known as fractionation where one unit of blood can benefit more than one patient after its separation into plasma, red cell, and platelet components.
Peters urged patients to use the facility now available at the hematology department of UUTH where they will get qualitative healthcare.
He implored Nigerians and multinational companies to emulate SBF by coming to the aid of UUTH to enable it deliver better service.