Zimbabwe’s public health system is on the brink of collapse as the country runs critically low on blood supplies, leaving public hospitals unable to carry out life-saving transfusions.
According to hospital officials, the country is operating on less than a day’s blood supply, just 300 units available daily against the national requirement of 1,600. This acute shortfall has created a dire situation for patients in urgent need of transfusions, including accident victims, expectant mothers, and those battling cancer and anaemia.
The crisis has been attributed to the government’s failure to pay the National Blood Services Zimbabwe (NBSZ) for blood delivered to public hospitals. As a result, NBSZ operations have been severely crippled. Sources revealed that although hospitals receive blood purchase coupons from the government, these vouchers haven’t been issued in several months.
Patients who can afford it are being referred to NBSZ directly, where a single pint of blood costs a staggering US$250 ,an amount well beyond the reach of most Zimbabweans. This has led to widespread fears that access to blood is becoming a privilege of the wealthy.
Dr. Aspect Maunganidze, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Childcare, confirmed the blood shortage in a statement released. He urged citizens to support blood donation efforts and expressed concern over the prohibitively high cost of blood.
“All public hospitals are dry. Government must declare this a national disaster,” said one medical practitioner. “Surgical operations are being cancelled, and patients are being turned away. This is a matter of life and death.”
NBSZ CEO Lucy Marowa echoed the gravity of the situation. While refuting claims that blood is being reserved exclusively for wealthy patients, she acknowledged that the organisation is struggling to function due to a lack of funding.
“We want to help everyone, but we simply don’t have the resources,” Marowa said. “Our blood stocks are dangerously low, and we’re unable to go out and collect more.”
Sources say NBSZ has not paid its workers in weeks and last conducted a blood drive three weeks ago.
The organisation is reportedly unable to afford basic operational costs, including fuel, refreshments for donors, electricity, and even essential supplies like printing paper and laboratory reagents.
Mark Preston / May 3, 2025
A while back I approached a tent operated by NBTS at Vanilla Moon Coffee shop. The nurse in attendance treated me with utter disdain, telling me I “should just go to their Mazoe Street rooms and apply to be a donor.I had for many years donated my O negative blood to them , but had stopped doing so owing to changed circumstances in my life.
I hope the NBTS administration is on its game with this critical service.
Mark Preston
Harare
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