BACOLOD City Councilor El Cid Familiaran has proposed an ordinance that will require traffic violators to donate blood instead of paying fines.
If approved, the ordinance, which hurdled the first reading, will address the scarcity of blood supply whenever there is a rise in dengue cases in the city. Familiaran said that worldwide, the scarcity of blood has been noticed not just by foreign countries or by their health providers, but likewise by the International Red Cross (IRC). Such serious concern has been identified when dengue illness hits the country, including the Bacolod City that resulted to shortage in blood supply in hospitals, and the cost of blood went up inaccessibly for many people that contributed to the cause of death of many poor patients, particularly children. The shortage of blood has been validated when Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang stated that in 2013, blood collection fell short of what is needed, considering that out of 950,000 units of blood which the country needs, PRC only collected 440,000 units of blood, representing just 49.6 percent of the nation’s badly needed blood. To address this major perennial health problem, measures that would generate more blood supply are most needed, the proposed ordinance stated. Republic Act No. 7719, “An Act Promoting Voluntary Blood Donation, Providing for an Adequate Supply of Safe Blood, Regulating Blood Banks, and Providing Penalties for Violation Thereof,” has been passed by Congress to institutionalize and ensure an adequate supply of blood. Among the measures considered to generate additional blood for patients is to recognize the voluntary donation of blood by traffic violators in lieu of the mandated fine. (CNC) By Carla N. Canet Sun Star Bacolod
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