Strategies to meet blood demand for transfusions during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learnt from a large central hospital in Malawi

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic affected blood banks globally. We sought to examine how COVID-19 affected blood supply and transfusion in our institution. Methods: The study was conducted at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) and the Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS) in Malawi. Data from April to November 2020, collected during the pandemic, were compared with data from the same time period in 2019 pre-COVID-19. Additionally, in-depth interviews with key personnel were conducted at both institutions. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 15 and qualitative data were analyzed using Nvivo software. Results: There was a significant reduction in blood supplied to the QECH from 7,303 [2019] to 6,028 units [2020] (P<0.04). The highest reduction in blood supply was to the Adult Emergency & Trauma department (29%) while the lowest was in Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Pediatric departments (17% reduction each). This is despite that the transfusion services continued to conduct blood drives during the pandemic, and the hospital laboratory prioritized blood issuing for emergency indications. Conclusions: Blood supply has significantly reduced during COVID-19 pandemic in our centers. Developing plans for overcoming similar shortages in future pandemics is critical.