Abolition of benefits behind blood shortage in Belarus
Mikhail Patapnyuk, Director of the National Center for Hematology, has assured our radio that no critical situation has been observed. The only problem: there is a shortage of blood groups with the negative rhesus-factor.
Mikhail Patapnyuk: “We have no problems with the positive rhesus, yet there are problems with the negative rhesus-factor. Not really a problem. Of course, we maintain a certain minimum. Bu in cases when we have 2-3 patients who need blood with the negative rhesus-factor urgently, we try to be on the safe side and exchange blood with other transfusion stations or call for a donor”.
Some 100-150 donors, mainly people between 20 and 40, visit the center daily. Mikhail Patapnyuk does not see a huge problem in the abolition of benefits for donors. “Donating is a voluntary deed, not the way to make money. After the law is enforced, volunteers only will remain with us,” he said.
The center’s director believes that the government has spent a lot for donors, so the decision about the abolition of benefits should not be criticized.
Mikhail Patapnuyk: “Journalists focus an excessive attention to this issue. Believe me, we are working normally. Different from Russia where actions like “Donate Blood” are routinely organized, we don’t have anything like that here”.
The European Radio for Belarus then asked him why the Minsk regional blood transfusion station places announcements in the local newspapers in order to attract donors, while the station in Magilyou sends nurses to villages to collect blood. Patapnyuk described as “simply doctor’s job”.
The Minsk regional blood transfusion station refused to discuss the topic. Nobody admitted that there was a shortage of blood. At the same time, it placed announcements in all the local newspapers.
Meanwhile in Magilyou, Nina Afanasiyeva, the head of donors’ resources department at the local regional blood transfusion station, complains that after the legislation on the abolition of benefits was passed, even regular donor stopped showing up.
Nina Afanasiyeva: “As soon as we have learned about the abolition of benefits, the number of donor has halved. Our regular clients have not come since summer. Perhaps, this is a voluntary thing in some other countries, but not in Belarus. We should take into account that many people look at blood-donating as a way to improve their material conditions. Of course, I wish the benefits for donors were not removed”.
The blood stations send their staff to villages or industrial enterprises, but they prefer to deal with regular donors.
