When Lloyd Mozamba was seriously injured after a traffic accident on the Herrarie -Bulawyu road in 2023, he was in urgent need of blood to save his life.
Although he was admitting the Central Hospital “Mbilo”, the largest government health facility in the area of Matabiland Besmbabwe, doctors had no sufficient amount of blood due to the lack of supplies.
In light of despair, his family found no choice but to resort to a nearby hospital that sold 3 blood units, at a price of $ 250 per unit. Since Mozamba receives a monthly salary of $ 270 and does not have savings, he could not pay the cost.
As time approached, the family resorted to an emergency plan. His uncle sold a cow for $ 300, and asked the relatives to contribute to covering the remaining amount.
Two years after the incident, Mozamba – who has now recovered – said that the experiment left a profound psychological impact on him, as he became worried about emergency situations that may require the transmission of savior of life.
“Three units may seem few, but there are those who need more. Because of the costs, it becomes a threat to life,” says Mozamba, 35, who works in a tool store in Pollauio.
“I could not get blood without paying or arranging a payment plan, it was a painful experience for Zimbabwe, an ordinary like me,” he added.
Mozamba is not a unique case
In light of the ongoing financial crises, high cost of living and high levels of poverty, the Zimbabuans in need of care faces serious delays that may lead to their lives due to financial obstacles, and this includes a lack of blood despite its free availability in government health institutions.
Tankca, a mother of two children from the capital, Harari, had a similar experience during the birth of her second child, as she suffered from postpartum bleeding, and had to obtain 4 blood units.
“They hardly collected money to cover the costs of childbirth, and the sudden need for blood transfusion came as an unexpected and shocking cost.
“My husband ran here and there and borrowed money from a small financing company. The benefits are high and the conditions are strict, but he was forced to act quickly. In the hospital, they insisted that the blood was free, but it was not available.”
“Postpartum bleeding is the main cause of maternal deaths,” says Blacksids and Obstetricians from Pollauo.
Health experts note that the spread of these cases requires hospitals to keep permanent supplies to deal with severe bleeding emergency during childbirth.
According to the “Community Working Group for Health”, a network of health civil organizations in Zimbabwe, the country faces a high demand for blood units, and more than those affected by pregnant women.
“We expect about half a million pregnancy cases in Zimbabwe, some of which are witnessing a great blood loss, which requires the transmission of at least three units,” says the group’s Itay Rosik, CEO of the group.
He adds that “the mothers of the mothers in Zimbabwe are still unacceptable,” explaining that “the transfusion of blood in time prevents these deaths, which amount to 212 women per 100,000 live births.”
“Free Blood for All”
In general, there are two main types of blood transfusion: self -and others. The self is for a person to donate to himself with his blood to use later. As for others, which is the most common in Zimbabwe, it is the transmission of blood from a donor to another person who matches his blood type.
The “National Blood Service Zimbabwe” supervises the blood donation and its distribution in the country. It is an independent non -profit, but legally obligatory to collect, treat and distribute blood within Zimbabwe.
Although the Ministry of Health and Children’s Care is always represented in its board of directors, the service is operating independently of government hospitals and health institutions, and it is not found in each facility, but is distributed through 5 regional centers: Harari, Paulwao, Guero, Massfango and Motary.
Patients in Zimbabwe have always paid for blood, but the government gradually reduced those costs, from $ 150 per unit in 2016 and before, to $ 50 in 2018.
Then the government took another step in July of that year by adopting free blood in all government health institutions.
“The free blood initiative for all is moving forward as planned, and mechanisms have already been developed to finance them, and as of July 1, 2018, the blood will be provided for free,” then the then Minister of Health, Dr. David Parrinatoa, said during the World Blood Donation Days in June 2018.
But despite this policy, hospitals are still suffering from a lack of supply.
Last May, government hospitals witnessed a severe blood shortage, a crisis that threatened the lives of thousands, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Al -Jazeera has contacted the ministry’s spokesperson, Donald Mujiri, to inquire about the shortage and the course of the implementation of the free blood policy, but it did not respond.
On the other hand, the National Blood Service Zimbabwe said that the blood shortage in May was caused by operational and methodological challenges that impeded its ability to implement the usual donation campaigns.
“Without time financing, we have faced difficulties in mobilizing awareness teams, securing fuel and buying basic supplies,” Vicky Magonga, a service contact official, told the island.
“The crisis was worse due to a seasonal decrease in donations, especially young people who make up more than 70% of our donor base,” she added.
Patients are often forced to obtain blood from private hospitals, as they bear full costs.
In many cases, the patient is actually transferred to the private facility to receive blood, and in other cases, the private hospital sends blood units to the patient in the government hospital after paying the cost.
Decisive blood donations
The World Health Organization seeks to ensure that all countries that perform blood transfusion will receive their supplies through voluntary donors.
The national blood service Zimbabwe told the island that maintaining sustainable blood supplies in the country requires the consolidation of a culture of regular and voluntary donation, especially among young people and marginalized societies.
The service adopts a model for mobile awareness, as it transmits blood donation campaigns directly to schools and societies.
For more involvement of young people, Mangaga stated that they had created a club “encouraging young people to commit to blood donation at least 25 times throughout their lives.”
“We also integrate awareness of the importance of blood donation in school programs, and we cooperate with higher education institutions to ensure continuity after the secondary stage,” she added.
Evy Kumalo, 32, among those who started donating blood from high school days. But she says that the lack of donation centers near them currently limits her ability to donate and is adult.
“As a school student, I started donating motivated by the pressure of the peer, but I found it interesting. When I grew up, I took the decision personally motivated by love to save lives and help the needy,” says Kumalo.
But, after moving from Pollao to Huangji, she adds that donating blood has become expensive, as the nearest center is located in Victoria Fols, more than 100 km away.
The National Blood Service Zimbabwe says that it is organizing mobile blood donation campaigns throughout the country, and also provides incentives to the donors.
“Regular donors who meet certain criteria, such as at least 10 donations, and the most recent of them during the past 12 months, are entitled to obtain free blood and its products for themselves and their direct family members when medical need,” said Mabonga.
But for loyal donors such as Kumalo, access to a center is a real obstacle.
“In such circumstances, it is no longer a free donation, as I spent money to get there. In the end, most of us prefer to stay at home despite our passion for donating.”
Rosik, CEO of the Community Work Group for Health, says the National Blood Service Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Health and the child’s sponsorship must accelerate the development of innovative and sustainable mechanisms to increase the number of medical qualified donors.
He adds, “The government must benefit from the health tax fund, which is a 5% tax on phone and data calls, and it has been created specifically to reduce the cost of blood and assist public health institutions to replace dilapidated devices and treat chronic drug shortages. This money must be clearly customized and used for the purpose allocated to it in a more transparent and responsibility in.”
Promises and deficiency
The authorities say that the national blood supplies in Zimbabwe have made good progress until mid -2025, as the national blood service collected more than 73% of its semi -annual goal (the annual goal of 2025 is 97,500 units).
The blood service confirms that the Ministry of Health and Children’s Care play a pivotal role in supporting the cost of blood and supervising it in the government health sector.
“Since 2018, the free blood policy has become possible thanks to the government -funded vouchers system, which covers the full cost of $ 250 per unit, allowing the recipient to obtain it free of charge in government hospitals,” said Mabonga.
The National Blood Service confirms that it works according to the principle of cost recovery, explaining that the entire collection, processing and distribution chain is $ 245. The Foundation imposes an amount of $ 250, achieving a profit margin of $ 5 per unit.
But Zimbabwean says that some private institutions sell the unit at a price of up to $ 500, which sparked widespread controversy on social media, due to the difficulty of reaching them for many.
“The national blood service Zimbabwe does not have the authority to organize the prices imposed by these institutions on patients,” Mabonga explains, stressing that the blood is donated free of charge, but the journey of its transmission from “Raid to Ward” is a complex and expensive process.
However, some observers believe that the cost of blood transfusion can be reduced.
“With more scrutiny, the cost of the blood transfusion chain can be less than $ 150 by employing available resources, benefiting from donors such as companies, and obliging the government to finance the full process,” said Activist in economic social justice, Carlton Netini.
He adds that the issue of providing free blood in government hospitals is a noble idea, but it without actual implementation remains merely false hope and only a few lucky benefit, as the deficiency is the prevailing.
“In fact, any amount of more than $ 50 per unit is very high for Zimbabwean, and it is a death sentence,” Netienie added.
Meanwhile, other treatment costs add to the psychological and material suffering.
Mozamba was lucky because his family did not demand the recovery of the amount she provided for blood, but Mico and her husband had difficulty paying a thousand dollars loan, rose to 1400 dollars due to the benefits.
“I have drained me more psychologically than physical pain, as she wondered: Where will I get this money under these economic conditions?”
“The government must fulfill its promises, as the issue is not only free of charge, but it must be available to everyone.”
