MBS says blood safe despite freezer failure
According to MBS, the technical fault affected a storage unit on the night of 20 April.
Maldivian Blood Services (MBS) has stated that blood stored in a malfunctioning refrigerator was not contaminated, following an incident in which it was administered to three patients.
According to MBS, the technical fault affected a storage unit on the night of 20 April. The service confirmed that blood packets from the unit were later used for transfusions at the Thalassemia Centre.
MBS said the issue with the freezer was identified after working hours on 19 April. Staff responded to a system alert and transferred 12 blood packets to a standby unit.
The service stated that the standard storage temperature is between 2°C and 6°C. During the malfunction, the temperature in the affected unit reached 11°C. System logs did not confirm how long the temperature remained above this level.
MBS said that under medical guidance, blood can be retained for a limited period during a malfunction, provided certain temperature thresholds are not exceeded.
“Based on the response time and available temperature records, there is medical assurance that the blood was neither expired nor contaminated,” the statement said.
The service added that, as a precaution, blood is normally discarded if there is uncertainty regarding storage conditions.
MBS confirmed that the blood used in the transfusions had been allocated to the three patients and stored in the affected unit. The issue was identified after the transfusions had been completed, after which steps were taken to inform those involved.
The service stated that an investigation has been launched to review the incident and to determine whether procedures were followed. An administrative staff member has been removed from duty pending the outcome of the inquiry.
MBS said recipients had been informed and arrangements made to provide replacement blood packs. It also confirmed that representatives from the Malé City Group of Hospitals met with the Maldives Thalassemia Society and family members to discuss the matter.
The Thalassemia Society has called for a full investigation and requested that updates be shared with the community.
