DOH: “Blood for sale” still rampant in Cebu

Regional health officials yesterday admitted that commercial blood donation or the so-called “blood for sale” is still rampant in Cebu.

Judith Tawatao, regional blood program coordinator of the Department of Health, said even if there is a law that prohibits selling of blood, it does not have provision that penalizes the commercial blood donors.

Republic Act No. 7719, or the National Blood Services Act of 1994, promotes voluntary blood donation, providing for an adequate supply of safe blood, regulating blood banks and providing penalties for violation thereof.

But the law only covers blood banks and centers that collect fees and extra charges or those that operate for a profit.

Because of this, Tawatao said many persons are making money by directly approaching the patients or their relatives and give their blood for a fee.

“We have been doing a massive awareness campaign on voluntary blood donation. As of 2006, all the commercial blood banks are already wiped out. However, there are still commercial blood donors and they are operating right at the doorsteps of the hospitals,” she explained.

She urged the patients and their families to only get blood from the regional blood center and the Philippine National Red Cross.

On the other hand, Tawatao said they have no control over the private hospitals that charge extra fees for their patients who undergo blood transfusion.

She said the maximum allowable fee for whole blood is P1,500; for the platelet is P1,1000 and for plasma P700.

 However, she said many private hospitals charge as much as 100 percent higher than the maximum allowable fee.

“In fairness to the private hospitals, they are charging beyond the maximum allowable amount, because according to them, this is because of the laboratories that they are doing to screen the blood as advised by the attending physician. That’s why we have no control over the maximum allowable fee, but they have justified what they are doing,” Tawatao said.

Tawatao was one of the speakers during the forum on voluntary blood donation held at the DOH-7 office yesterday.

In line with the celebration of the Blood Donor’s Month, the DOH in coordination with the PNRC and community organizations like the Rotary Club, will conduct series of blood letting activities and promotion of voluntary blood donation in different parts of Cebu. – Wenna A. Berondo/LPM