Sen. Richard Gordon in one of the Senate hearings online. Screen grab / Senate PRIB file photo
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is charging money for donated blood due to costs needed for storing and testing of the vital fluid, the organization’s chairman Senator Richard Gordon said on Thursday.
This was Gordon’s response to President Rodrigo Duterte, who questioned the humanitarian organization for charging money for donated blood, in a series of attacks against the senator who also chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that is investigating the procurement of allegedly “overpriced” personal protective equipment, face masks, and face shields made by the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service on behalf of DOH in 2020.
“We are doing cost recovery according to the law,” Gordon said in a statement, citing the Department of Health (DOH).
DOH, in its website, stated that “there are significant costs associated with collecting, testing, preparing, components, labeling, storing and shipping, recruiting and educating donors, and quality assurance. As a result, processing fees are charged to recover costs.”
Gordon also pointed out that “the processing fees collected for blood are ploughed back into the program to continue to provide blood services to others in need.”
The senator also noted that despite the allowable reimbursement of processing costs, PRC has a program to provide free blood services to those who qualify.
PRC provides 50 percent of all blood needs in the country, according to the organization.
With its 98 blood facilities, the humanitarian organization has provided 268,894 units of blood since January 2021, serving 109,644 individuals, according to PRC.
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