The American Association of Blood Banks has designated the month of January ‘Blood Donor’ month. Maintaining a safe and viable blood safety system is essential to the continued functioning of healthcare delivery services across the Commonwealth.
When the safety of the blood supply is compromised, the well being of all Massachusetts families are at risk. At the height of the AIDS pandemic in the 1980’s and 1990’s, people contracted HIV through unsafe blood and blood products. As a result of litigation stemming from their deaths the American Red Cross has been placed under a consent decree. The American Red Cross Blood Services division has failed to meet its minimum obligations under the consent decree for nearly two decades, and the decree remains in place today. The legal process has not compelled compliance, and as such, it is appropriate that lawmakers take action.
Basic steps can be taken to make the blood supply safer here in Massachusetts. I call on the Legislature to file legislation and address the concerns we are raising. Common sense efforts towards making us all safer must include elements which:
- Require assignment of at least one licensed nurse to every blood drive
- Require adequate staffing ratios (donors:staff) of all blood drives
- At High School drives, enforcement of height and weight eligability requirements for teen donors
- Assessment and investigation of all major adverse reactions and injuries sustained at blood drives
- Protect privacy and provide extra safety precautions for minors at high school drives
- Make available blood drive operator’s safety records, so that the public is aware of past problems that have arisen
It is absolutely critical that the blood supply servicing the people of the Commonwealth be above reproach when it comes to questions of blood safety and bio-vigilance. These elements we have raised will have little extra financial expense but will potentially save scores of lives over a period of years. We encourage the legislature to address these concerns quickly.
Steve May (D-Hull) is a candidate for State Senate running in the Plymouth and Norfolk district covering the towns of: Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Hull, Marshfield, Norwell, Scituate and Weymouth. Mr. May has also previously served as the Director of Advocacy at the New England Hemophilia Association and National Director of State Affairs at the Hemophilia Federation of America.
For more information about the American Red Cross Blood Services Division consent decree, please consult the following agencies:
The Committee of Ten-Thousand ( http://www.cott1.org/)
The Workers’ Committee for Blood Safety: (http://blooddrivesafety.com/index.htm)
At blood drives in which I have participated or observed, security (for lack of a better term) seems pretty tight, in terms of screening donors, addressing emergencies, etc.