Evaluation of Blood Bank Operations and Supply Chain Management at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, South South Nigeria

Efficient blood bank operations and a reliable blood product supply chain are foundational to surgical safety, obstetric emergency management, and haematological disease care in Nigerian tertiary hospitals. This study evaluates blood bank operations, donor recruitment practices, component preparation capacity, wastage rates, and supply chain management at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Cross River State. A mixed-methods evaluation design is applied, combining a quantitative audit of blood bank operational data for 2021 and 2022 with structured interviews of 20 blood bank personnel and eight clinical department heads. Operational indicators assessed include voluntary versus replacement donor proportions, pre-transfusion testing turnaround time, blood component availability rates, rejection rates, and product expiry wastage. SPSS is used for quantitative analysis, and qualitative data are coded thematically. Available blood safety literature from South South Nigeria identifies high replacement donor dependency (exceeding 70 percent), limited platelet and fresh frozen plasma separation capacity, and a pre-transfusion testing turnaround time of over six hours as the most critical operational constraints. The WHO Blood Safety and Availability Indicators and NBTS Nigeria standard operating procedures provide the evaluation framework. Findings will guide hospital management on investment priorities for voluntary donor recruitment campaigns and blood component technology. Keywords: blood bank operations, blood supply chain, blood safety, Calabar, South South Nigeria.