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What many donors don’t know: Their blood is sold

What many donors don’t know: Their blood is sold

 Rhesusnegative.net1
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A lawsuit between Oklahoma Blood Institute and a Minnesota blood broker reveals details of the valuable blood business.

https://www.oklahoman.com/article/4985779/what-many-donors-dont-know-their-blood-is-sold

“The general public — 99 percent of Americans — don’t know that blood is sold,” he said.

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When you donate blood, you may get a bit dizzy, but it’s a great feeling to know you’ve helped someone in need for free. Well, maybe.

The Oklahoma Blood Institute, supposedly a non-profit donation service, is currently in a legal battle with General Blood, a blood bank.

OBI claims General Blood owes more than $420,000 for blood it delivered, revealing to many donors that their blood is sold.

So while you’re just giving it away at the clinic, some companies are selling it off for profit.

According to court documents, your precious fluid is worth as much as $300 a pint. But what’s really disturbing is that even expired blood can be sold at a reduced rate.

It takes 42 days for red blood cells to expire, but other elements, like platelets, expire in as few as five days because they can’t be refrigerated.

According to The Oklahoman, OBI works with companies like General Blood to avoid wasting product. It also claims it’s not selling the blood but all the equipment it takes to get it into the patient.

General Blood’s chief executive says about 99 percent of Americans don’t know their blood is sold, but blood banks aren’t allowed to pay donors.

The company is counter-suing for $14 million alleging the non-profit violated a confidentiality agreement with a lab in Utah.

https://news.yahoo.com/2014-07-08-lawsuit-reveals-donated-blood-can-be-sold-for-profit-20927009.html
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Rhesusnegative.net

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One Comment

  1. Christe Mihok January 25, 2022

    I’m glad you brought this up and I don’t find your conversation negative just honest. Being O- I’m quite aware I “can” donate every 54 days as the blood bank emails and calls to remind me. I have mixed feelings about donating even though I try and get in as I have a sense of it being a civic duty to others. The experience is not rewarding to me and a bit insulting so I don’t go nearly as often as I should. In the case here they are offering something. I’ll get emails offering twenty dollar gift cards to Publix and a tshirt telling others I’m a donor which I want neither. Honestly I find their gift card offer insulting as if I need that. I’d wipe my butt with that. Then I find myself sitting with people that are there JUST FOR THAT CARD. I feel looped in with them by the phlebotomist in how they treat us. Uggh insulting.
    So I struggle with this. Guilty for not helping when I know they have shortages and disgraced when I go to help. If they want to give an incentive? First of all let us have an option to give an amount to a charity of our choice instead of their gift card and make the donating amount align with the profit they’re making. Atleast $100 and I’d be there on time every 2 months with bells on. Possibly a separate area for those taking the $20. I really hate that sorry if I’m being negative but since you brought this up..

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