Private hospitals misusing facility

Which provides units of whole blood to these commercial establishments at the cost price of Dh400 with no strings attached.

The majority of private hospitals in turn sell it back to patients for anywhere between Dh750 to Dh1,000, according to Dr Amin Al Amiri, Director of the Blood Transfusion and Medical Laboratories Department at the ministry.

Recommended For You

India trade delegation to visit Moscow as US tariffs hit exports

US envoy Jared Kushner in Jerusalem to press Gaza truce

Smart FM and sustainability drive residential property management evolution in the Middle East

Join the global efforts against climate change, says UAE

Rajiv Sharma of NLP Limited receives 'Best Leadership Training' award from Alleem Group

 

"These hospitals are using this blood to generate income which is ethically wrong, in some cases they give blood transfusions to patients who do not need it just to put it on the bill. We have drawn up a report on this matter and we will take action against this practice," Dr Al Amiri told Khaleej Times yesterday.

He said that a circular issued by the ministry clearly instructs private hospitals not to force patients to have their relatives or friends donate blood on their behalf before they can get blood transfusions.

"If a patient needs blood we give them safe and tested blood. All we ask is the private hospitals' cooperation to encourage, recruit and motivate people to become blood donors, but we made it clear to hospitals that people must not be forced to give blood," Dr Al Amiri said.

He said that patients' complaints regarding forced donations would be immediately forwarded to the Private Medical Practice Department at the ministry, which will take the necessary disciplinary action with the medical establishment that forces people to give blood before releasing blood for transfusion to patients who need it.

Although many private hospitals refused to go on record when questioned on this matter, they did admit that patients due to undergo elective surgery are 'encouraged' to have their friends or family donate blood on their behalf.

Although refraining from saying anything negative about the ministry, some hospitals hinted that the ministry does force them to send a donor in exchange for each blood unit they require.

These hospitals claimed they do not have facilities to store blood, adding that even in emergencies they send a driver to the blood bank to get a couple of units of whole blood.

Dr Al Amiri said that this is wrong and that such hospitals are motivated by profit and greed rather than patient's welfare, since purchasing blood from the MoH and storing it means these hospitals risk having to throw away any extra blood left unused after the use-by-date has lapsed.

Other hospitals stressed that there is no question of force or arm-twisting being involved in forcing patients' relatives to donate blood, as this is an ethical issue and no medical establishment can refuse to give blood transfusions to patients who need it.

"Demand for blood and blood components is increasing from all hospitals and we are the only department who supply them with their needs, for operations and transfusions. If there is mismanagement at these hospitals then they should not blame the ministry," Dr Al Amiri said, adding that each day the Sharjah Blood Bank alone has around 300 units of blood on hand.