Authorities in Zimbabwe have begun investigating the mysterious disappearance of blood at the province’s largest referral hospital, Masvengo Provincial Hospital.
A group of auditors has been deployed to the hospital for a five-day audit to discover how blood units disappeared from the lab.
Two hospital staff, a laboratory scientist and a technician, were arrested for allegedly stealing three blood from the hospital’s refrigerator. The report shows that the duo also emptyed blood vessels, causing concerns about the safety of blood supply in public hospitals. The stolen blood is reportedly targeting key patients, including accident victims and patients undergoing surgery.
The hospital staff were shocked and concerned about the disappearance, and one worker described it as a serious security breach. However, employees of the defendant hospital denied any involvement and argued in court that they were not the only ones who could use blood storage facilities. This led to the authorities expanding the investigation to determine whether to participate.
A senior hospital official spoke on condition of anonymity, confirming that the incident had prompted an internal security review. Although these suspicions have not been confirmed, it has also attracted attention to the purpose of the stolen blood or the purpose of ritual purposes.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has not issued a statement on the matter, but it needs to increase pressure on safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Authorities vowed to conduct a thorough investigation, and police and hospital administrators are working to determine the way theft and whether further arrests will be made.
