Offering benefits for blood donation is not advised – 07/06/2023 – Health

In recent days, Hemorio, which coordinates the blood center network in Rio de Janeiro, announced a partnership with singer Ludmilla to encourage the act of donating blood. Between July 5th and 7th, tickets for the singer Numanice’s event will be distributed free of charge to those who attend Hemorio’s official donation points.

the organ announced on his official Twitter campaign rules. One of them is to communicate that the donation is made “in the name of the Ludmilla Numanice campaign”.

The campaign may raise questions because offering benefits to blood donors is not recommended. However, Hemorio informed the Sheet that this is not the case of the action with the singer Ludmilla.

According to the agency’s press office, the benefit of winning the ticket is given to anyone who goes to a blood collection point, regardless of whether or not the individual donates blood. In this way, continues the advisory, receiving the ticket is related to the person’s intention, not necessarily with the donation itself.

A 2019 technical note published by the Ministry of Health addresses the topic of offering benefits to blood donors. The document points out that these actions are not advised because of the “ethical principles that guide the donation of human organs, tissues and cells and the protection of the health of blood recipients”.

This is because, for blood donation, it is necessary to follow health parameters in order to guarantee the safety of those who will receive it. The technical note explains that, in addition to clinical tests, the person who wants to donate blood needs to answer questions to avoid potential health risks to the recipient of the donation. Therefore, if someone is interested in the benefit they can gain from the act, they can answer the questions incorrectly during the interview with health professionals.

The ministry’s document also points out that the act of offering bonuses is contrary to the objective of building a society that sees voluntary blood donation. The folder advises the construction of educational actions to “develop the altruism of the blood donor, raising awareness of the population to understand that the act of donating blood is essential for promoting the health of the population”.

Another point mentioned in the document is that Brazilian legislation itself prohibits the sale of blood. In the 1988 Constitution, for example, any sale of collected blood bags is prohibited. The standard follows the parameters of the WHO (World Health Organization) and the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT).

The note ends by reiterating that the offer of benefits is not indicated in contexts of blood donation. This is because the bonuses are “contrary to the fundamental principle of blood donation, altruism”.