Prohibition Against Unauthorized Blood Extractions and Transfusions

November 28, 1972

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 42

 

In view of the reported trafficking of human blood in hospitals, clinics, blood banks, and like establishments despite the Presidential directive, dated March 23, 1972, regarding the strict implementation of the provisions of Republic Act No. 1517, and the extraction of blood direct from donors done unscrupulously under the guise of emergency, transfusions without adherence to blood banking practices and medical ethics which, if not curtailed could claim human lives, and in order to stop the commercialization of human blood to the detriment of our poor countrymen, you are hereby ordered to close, stop or suspend the operations of hospitals, clinics, blood banks, and like establishments violating the provisions of R.A. 1517 and the rules and regulations issued thereunder, and this Letter of Instructions, and to prosecute all parties concerned, to apprehend or cause the apprehension and prosecution of all unauthorized persons who are actively engaged or suspected to be engaged, for material consideration, in peddling human blood, soliciting prospective customers, or recruiting donors, or persons, whether physicians or not, who are conducting or suspected to be conducting the extraction and transfusion of human blood even during emergencies without first following the standards of blood banking practices. aisa dc

Forthwith human blood extractions and issuance thereof for transfusion shall be done only by the Philippine National Red Cross and all its chapters and by licensed government and private blood banks. Hospitals that are not equipped with blood banks shall refer all donors of blood for extraction to local chapters of the Philippine National Red Cross, the Bureau of Research and Laboratories of the Department of Health, or to the nearest hospital, clinic, blood bank or like establishment with blood bank facilities, and duly licensed to extract blood for transfusion purposes.

Since the operation of a blood bank is for public health service and not for profit, henceforth, human blood should not be the subject of public bidding. Agencies needing to buy human blood should procure the same from any licensed blood bank at a price accordingly set therefor.

The Presidential ban on the exportation of human blood, its products and derivatives, shall remain in full force and effect.

You are also directed to devise measures and issue rules and regulations to ensure the successful implementation of this Letter of Instructions. casia

DONE in the City of Manila, this 28th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Two.