SERAP urges Sanwo-Olu to comply with court’s ruling on compulsory blood donation

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) on Tuesday urged Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to comply with the court judgment stopping compulsory blood donations from patients in public hospitals in the state.

SERAP in a statement issued by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oludare, asked the governor to instruct the state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, to fully and effectively enforce the judgment stopping all Lagos hospitals and health facilities from demanding compulsory blood donations from any patients or their relatives as a precondition for medical attention either in antenatal and maternal or any other health services.”

Justice Raliat Adebiyi of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, had on Monday stopped all government hospitals in the state from demanding compulsory blood donation from those seeking medical attention including maternity and anti-natal services.

She described the act as arbitrary, unfair and a violation of the patients’ human rights.

The statement read: “The enforcement of the judgment will be a special moment for the implementation of the government’s strategies towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as it will improve the chances of everyone including women during and after childbirth, and ensure quality health services, which will contribute to the promotion of these goals.”

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“As Justice Adebiyi stated in her judgment, your enforcement of the judgment will be consistent with Section 33 of Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended), which guarantees the right to life; and articles 2(a),3 and 12(1) of the International Convention on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, which requires the health system including in Lagos State to provide equal opportunity for everyone. Nigeria has ratified the covenant.”

“The enforcement of the judgment will also show Lagos State as a champion of the SDGs and be entirely consistent with international standards and best practices, including those developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), which recognize that the safest blood donors are voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors. The WHO has in fact recommended that no coercion should be brought to bear upon the donor to donate.”

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