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2 clusters · 9 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated

Bulgarian blood supply and donation policy

Overview

The Bulgarian Ministry of Health has issued a clarification stating that medical facilities cannot require patients or their relatives to provide a specific number of blood donors as a prerequisite for hospitalization or surgery. This follows reports that hospitals were demanding donor certificates before performing planned operations. The Ministry emphasized that blood donation must be based on voluntariness and altruism, asserting that “the responsibility for providing blood and blood components belongs to the transfusion hematology system and should not be transferred to patients.”

While the Bulgarian Hospital Association supports the ban on mandatory requirements, it noted a systemic issue where 83% of donations in 2023 were made by relatives or acquaintances. To address these shortages, the Ministry announced plans to develop a unified strategy. This will involve working meetings with hospital associations, the National Center for Transfusion Hematology, the Bulgarian Red Cross, and other medical experts to create a mechanism for ensuring sufficient blood supplies while protecting patient rights.

Entities

Association of Patients Active in Healthcare · Bulgarian Ministry of Health · National Center for Transfusion Hematology · Nikolay Valov · Bulgarian Red Cross

Timeline

  1. 14 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Bulgarian Ministry of Health to address blood supply shortages

    Bulgaria's Ministry of Health is developing a new strategy to address blood shortages, asserting that patients should not be responsible for securing blood supplies for their own treatments.

  2. 16 days ago

    [HEALTH] 7 sources
    Bulgarian Ministry of Health bans mandatory blood donor requirements

    The Bulgarian Ministry of Health ruled that hospitals cannot require patients to provide blood donors as a condition for treatment, though medical associations warn of potential blood shortages.

Sources

actualno.com · clubz.bg · moreto.net · petel.bg · podtepeto.com · ruse.news · safenews.bg · trafficnews.bg · zdrave.net