While it has been noted that a technical issue occurred last Sunday night in a blood storage refrigerator at Maldivian Blood Services (MBS), the agency assured last night that there is medical certainty that the blood packets transfused into three individuals were not spoiled or contaminated.

Following rumors that spoiled blood had been transfused into several people, Blood Services released a statement detailing the timeline of events.

According to the statement, the technical issue with Refrigerator Number 2 was discovered at approximately 10:11 PM last Sunday night, after the facility had closed at 9:00 PM. MBS stated the issue was flagged when the freezer's temperature monitoring alert system began sending messages.

"Accordingly, after five relevant employees received the alert, three employees arrived at the freezer room within the designated time and transferred a total of 12 blood packets to a standby freezer," the statement said.

MBS further noted that on the following Monday morning, relevant staff reported to the office and followed standard protocols for technical issues involving "medical-grade machines" and equipment used in healthcare centers. This included a technical team from the Hulhumalé Hospital Quality Assurance Department.

However, MBS stated that while the freezer temperature is generally required to be maintained between 2-6°C, it was observed that the temperature in Refrigerator Number 2 had risen to 11°C.

MBS said that the information automatically logged by the system did not clarify exactly how long the temperature had remained above 11°C.

"However, medical standards indicate that in the event of a freezer issue, blood packets can be safely kept for a total of four hours as long as the temperature does not exceed 10°C," the statement said.

"Therefore, considering the time it took for staff to arrive at the freezer on the night of April 19, 2026, and the temperature logs recorded in the system, there is medical certainty that the blood in Refrigerator Number 2 was not spoiled or contaminated."

Blood Services stated that the reason they usually do not transfuse blood when there is a question regarding the refrigerator temperature is to maintain the highest standard of blood quality.

MBS confirmed that they discovered blood packets from the faulty Refrigerator Number 2 had been transfused into three individuals.

These were three individuals who were waiting in the thalassemia center’s transfusion ward on Monday morning, the day after the technical issue was discovered. MBS noted that it was identified at approximately 9:30 AM that morning that these three individuals had received the blood.

MBS stated that of the three people who received blood from that freezer, one person who was supposed to receive two packets did not receive the second packet on Monday. The agency also stated that the three individuals were informed of the situation.

"However, it has also been noted that there was a delay in informing the three parties that the blood packets had been transfused," the statement said.

Following this, officials began informing some individuals at the thalassemia center. The statement also mentioned that the incident was shared in a Telegram group for thalassemia patients last Monday afternoon, where Blood Services issued an apology.

However, MBS explained that they did not mention in the Telegram group at the time that the blood from the faulty freezer had been transfused into three people because an investigation was ongoing.

Blood Services stated that they immediately began an investigation to identify those involved in the transfusion. A special investigative team from the Male' City Group of Hospitals was formed and began its probe last Monday.

Based on information uncovered during the investigation, one individual was barred from reporting to work starting last Thursday for the purpose of the investigation. This employee was responsible for overseeing the transfusion process. The allegation against the employee is negligence in providing required information prior to the transfusion, according to the MBS statement.

Blood Services said that the Male' City Group of Hospitals met with the Maldivian Thalassemia Society and the family of one of the three individuals to hear their concerns. MBS stated that all accurate and complete information available up to that point was shared with them transparently.