Blood donation is considered to be a noble act done with a good intention of helping a patient who is fighting for survival. We are under the belief that only with this sole motive many blood banks have been formed and blood donation is given wide publicity worldwide. Many kind hearted persons donate blood with the belief that this is given to the needy free of cost (this is a donation).
Recently I happened to meet a person who had admitted his wife for an operation. On the date of operation he was asked to procure one unit of blood having the same group as that of his wife. He went to a reputed(?) blood bank in Coimbatore. The blood bank insisted that they can give blood provided my friend donates one unit of blood to the bank. Thinking that this was fair enough, he donated one unit of blood. After taking his blood the bank authorities, to the shock and surprise of my friend, insisted on payment of Rs.600/- to give one unit of blood. When my friend asked why they are charging even after taking one unit of blood from him, they said it is for testing and certifying the blood which they are going to give. Since there is no option he paid the money. He was given two receipts one for testing and one for service charge both for almost equal amounts. My friend was shocked to know the profit motive of the blood bank.
We are under wrong belief that the blood donated is being given free to the needy. Blood banks are money spinners. There is no governmental or Medical Council control over these blood bank. There is no propaganda as to how these blood bank works, in what way the blood donated by the donors are given to the needy, what is the charge collected, is the testing charge levied is reasonable, are they liable to collect service charge etc. All these things need to be standardised and widely publicised.
When testing charges are collected the blood bank should send a copy of the test report to the donor free of cost as the charges are collected from the donee ( donee?!). Government should turn their head towards blood banks which runs it as a business. If the same trend continues these blood banks may even be called blood suckers soon.
Government should see to it that no charges are collected for the supply of blood which was donated by somebody. They should fix the blood testing charges which are reasonable and affordable to the common man and wide publicity shall be given for this.
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