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AZG Armenian Daily #143, 16/08/2005
Healthcare
BLOOD: A MATTER OF BARGAIN
Only Voluntary Donoring Guarantees Safe Blood
The process of hospital privatization gave birth to private blood
departments and banks. The post-soviet era of market relations made blood a
subject of bargain. In Armenia, there are state-run blood transfusion
stations only in 5 provinces - Shirak, Armavir, Syunik, Kotayk and Lori. In
other provinces people get blood in appropriate departments of central
hospitals. The Haematology Center is empowered to control all state and
private blood banks. "There are many private companies that are better
equipped than the state-run Haematology Center, and in this respect it's
somewhat irrational to supervise them. We often feel shame to go to a blood
bank for an inspection when we ourselves have far humbler conditions. This
is an issue demanding urgent solution as all blood services within a state
should be regulated by the same standards and methods, and each patient
getting blood transfusion should trust the quality of the blood", head of
the Haematology Center Smbat Daghbashian said.
The head of the Haematology Center indicated that the overwhelming majority
of paid donors are socially vulnerable people who are more likely to have
blood infections. A donor in Armenia gets 20-50 USD for one portion of
blood. There is a danger that social conditions can make donors conceal
their diseases, used medicines etc. Having their services refused at one
clinic they may turn to another till they get the money they need. Center N1
is in charge of inspection over blood infections. Thanks to the computerized
process an ill donor that was declined at one place but managed to sell his
blood somewhere else can be easily detected.
"Donoring should be on voluntary terms to guarantee safe blood", Daghbashian
said.
Only 5-6 percent of donors in Armenia are volunteers. 80-85 percent donoring
falls to the relatives' lot. Blood collection at the Center is carried out
by means of special scales acquired by the help of German Embassy. Other
clinics do not posses such scales and the measurement is approximate.
Correct freezing of blood is another guarantee for safe blood. Elements of
blood are kept in certain temperature and under certain procedure, which
differ depending on each case. Blood freezing requires special refrigerators
that the Center lacks so far.
To solve the issue of safe blood each country needs 40-50 volunteer donors
in every 1000 population. In Armenia, only 3-4 people enlist as donors in
every 1000. People, very passive in giving their blood in daily life, get
activated in case of disasters such as the earthquake of 1988 and the Beslan
tragedy.
By Karine Danielian
Healthcare
BLOOD: A MATTER OF BARGAIN
Only Voluntary Donoring Guarantees Safe Blood
The process of hospital privatization gave birth to private blood
departments and banks. The post-soviet era of market relations made blood a
subject of bargain. In Armenia, there are state-run blood transfusion
stations only in 5 provinces - Shirak, Armavir, Syunik, Kotayk and Lori. In
other provinces people get blood in appropriate departments of central
hospitals. The Haematology Center is empowered to control all state and
private blood banks. "There are many private companies that are better
equipped than the state-run Haematology Center, and in this respect it's
somewhat irrational to supervise them. We often feel shame to go to a blood
bank for an inspection when we ourselves have far humbler conditions. This
is an issue demanding urgent solution as all blood services within a state
should be regulated by the same standards and methods, and each patient
getting blood transfusion should trust the quality of the blood", head of
the Haematology Center Smbat Daghbashian said.
The head of the Haematology Center indicated that the overwhelming majority
of paid donors are socially vulnerable people who are more likely to have
blood infections. A donor in Armenia gets 20-50 USD for one portion of
blood. There is a danger that social conditions can make donors conceal
their diseases, used medicines etc. Having their services refused at one
clinic they may turn to another till they get the money they need. Center N1
is in charge of inspection over blood infections. Thanks to the computerized
process an ill donor that was declined at one place but managed to sell his
blood somewhere else can be easily detected.
"Donoring should be on voluntary terms to guarantee safe blood", Daghbashian
said.
Only 5-6 percent of donors in Armenia are volunteers. 80-85 percent donoring
falls to the relatives' lot. Blood collection at the Center is carried out
by means of special scales acquired by the help of German Embassy. Other
clinics do not posses such scales and the measurement is approximate.
Correct freezing of blood is another guarantee for safe blood. Elements of
blood are kept in certain temperature and under certain procedure, which
differ depending on each case. Blood freezing requires special refrigerators
that the Center lacks so far.
To solve the issue of safe blood each country needs 40-50 volunteer donors
in every 1000 population. In Armenia, only 3-4 people enlist as donors in
every 1000. People, very passive in giving their blood in daily life, get
activated in case of disasters such as the earthquake of 1988 and the Beslan
tragedy.
By Karine Danielian