- cross-posted to:
- collapse@sopuli.xyz
- cross-posted to:
- collapse@sopuli.xyz
A blood supply shortage in the US has reached a “crisis” level, according to the American Red Cross, which says it is the second time in its 150-year history that levels have been this low.
Factors including wildfires and extreme heat have combined to create the current situation, Dr Courtney Lawrence, who works with the American Red Cross, told the BBC.
Supply levels dropped by a quarter just last month. The crisis has struck during summer, when the amount of blood needed by hospitals typically increases.
That is because of an increased number of car accidents and more people spending time outdoors, resulting in more injuries that require blood transfusions, Lawrence said.
I can’t stomach the idea of “donating” blood only for it to be marked up and sold for thousands of dollars to those who need it.
Pay people and you’ll have your blood. Works for plasma centers.
Whole blood is not sold for profit, but organizations do charge hospitals a handling fee to cover operational costs… but I just realized as I was typing this that you aren’t talking about the organizations that collect blood, but the hospitals.
I looked up what it generally costs for a one-unit (1pt, ~470ml) blood transfusion, and it’s over $2000! I’d like to think that all the blood and platelet donations I’ve made over the years had saved lives, which objectively they probably did. But now knowing how much hospitals and insurance companies are profiting off of the act of donating makes it feel less like a selfless act of compassion and more like cattle being herded into a milking parlor.
Domestically… Blood and blood products are America’s 9th largest export, and we export 70% of the world’s blood plasma supply. It’s nearly a 40 billion dollar business.
Least they could do is give you a voucher to cover a future blood transfusion if you need it.
The orphan crushing machine strikes again.
Similar stuff happens with some charities too and the amount of money eaten up by administrative fees.
It’s sad but true.
As much as i know blood is needed, I haven’t given blood in years. If I got into a car accident on the way home they’d sell it back to me for an absurd rate. Fuck them.
If you give blood, you should receive blood for free if you need it.
That’s common sense.
We live in a dystopia, though…
Even though companies are making a profit off of it, donating blood is still so important. Not doing it because someone is profiting off of the donation only hurts the people who need the transfusion more. The laws surrounding profiting off of donated blood need to change, but the need for blood still exists.
Whose blood?