Free Blood Donor But Why Do Patients Have To Pay When Needed?

JAKARTA - Not a few people think that blood donation is a completely free social activity, but in reality patients who need blood still have to pay a certain fee at the hospital.

This clearly raises the question, if the donor is done without fees, it is even done voluntarily by donors, then why does the blood continue to be paid when used?

The chairman of PMI DKI Jakarta, H. Beky Mardani explained that the costs incurred by patients when requiring blood donations were not to buy blood, but rather the costs for blood operations were collected in laboratories, blood component examinations, and storage.

The blood obtained from donors cannot be directly distributed to other people. There are a number of series that must be carried out according to security standards, ranging from examination to blood, which is suitable for donation.

"The fee issued by the patient is not for the blood. Various procedures for blood management clearly require costs to certain services from the hospital," said Beky, after the "Blood Donor Trend in Indonesia: Challenges and Hopes with the Head of UDD PMI Jakarta and the General Chairperson of PDTDI" at the Etana Building, East Jakarta, recently.

PMI emphasized that the government has also regulated the cost of blood treatment so that it cannot burden the community. So that the costs for the required blood are not allowed to exceed the predetermined price limit.

"The price or cost has also been set by the Ministry, so it should not be expensive. Even for BPJS participants, this cost has been borne," concluded Beky.