UAE’s health ministry will phase out payments to blood donors by 2003, saying unpaid volunteers are already making up 65 percent of all donors.
The director of blood banks and medical laboratories, Amin Al Amiri, said on Wednesday that currently people donating blood are paid Dh200, but said this will be fully phased out by 2003, reported the Dubai-based Gulf News.
"The UAE has achieved such a high success rate in the transition to voluntary donors because of the collective effort of everybody involved," Amiri said.
"We have managed it in a span of 11 years, while other countries have taken twice the amount of time. Voluntary donors are essentially people who donate because they want to help people, their reasons are completely altruistic.
"In the case of remunerated donors, quite often they do it for the money, which may be needed by them for unhealthy activities. They come under the category of risky donors, which puts the safety of our blood at risk."
He emphasized that patient safety is of utmost concern to the Ministry of Health and all donated blood is screened for disease and infections.
"We want only the safest blood to reach patients and voluntary blood donors enhance that safety."
Al Amiri explained that as part of the safety campaign, 10 percent of donors are students aged over 18, and additional screening processes for blood units are also being planned.
"Two new techniques to test for HIV and Hepatitis B virus will be implemented. As per these procedures 96 units that have been cleared will undergo tests for both, which will further ensure the safety of the blood transfused
