JAN.

4, 2013

NR # 2974

Bill establishing Philippine Blood Disease and Transfusion Center filed

A lawmaker has proposed the establishment of a Philippine Blood Disease and Transfusion Center to offer comprehensive care for patients with blood disorders and provide transfusion services to the Filipino people. Rep. Alfredo Maraon III (2nd District, Negros Occidental) authored House Bill 6734, which aims to provide the Filipino people with a blood center equipped with state-of-the-art diagnosis, management and treatment of hematologic disorders. The establishment of the blood center shall also rationalize and improve the provision of adequate and safe supply of blood and shall set the standards for scientific and professional establishment and operation of other blood banks and regional blood centers in the country, Maraon said. The bill to be known as the Philippine Blood Disease and Transfusion Center Act shall establish a Philippine Blood Disease and Blood Transfusion Center at the Lung Center of the Philippines compound, in Quezon Avenue, Quezon City. Under the measure, the center shall be the lead hospital in the training and teaching of medical paramedical professionals regarding blood diseases and transfusion medicine. The center shall have a state-of-the-art hematology laboratory which should be able to offer more services than a regular medical center, including a molecular laboratory. The center shall also establish a Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplant program and donor registry. The center shall likewise recruit, retain and care for voluntary blood donors, collect blood from qualified voluntary blood donors, process whole blood into blood components. It will collect blood components through Apheresis and distribute whole blood and blood components to end-user hospitals and non-hospital health facilities and ensure that safe supply of blood and blood products to all hospitals and other health facilities are adequate in terms of distribution and delivery. The center shall have the attribute of perpetual succession and shall be vested with the powers of a corporation, and shall continue to exist until dissolved for a lawful cause and or by joint resolution of Congress. The DOH shall ensure that the center shall adopt and enforce a program for indigent needing blood/blood products and patients with blood diseases in accordance to the implementing guidelines on classification of patients and on Availment of Medical Social Services in Government Hospitals. (30) jsc