RA 7719: National Blood Services Act of 1994

• NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICES ACT OF 1994
• Objectives of the National Blood Services Program

  • To promote and encourage voluntary blood donation by the citizenry and to instill public consciousness of the principle that blood donation is a humanitarian act
  • To lay down the legal principle that the provision of blood for transfusion is a professional medical service and not a sale of a commodity
  • To provide for adequate, safe, affordable and equitable distribution of supply of blood and blood products
  • To inform the public of the need for voluntary blood donation to curb the hazards caused by the commercial sale of blood
  • To teach the benefits and rationale of voluntary blood donation in the existing health subjects of the formal education system in all public and private schools, in the elementary, high school and college levels as well as the non-formal education system
  • To mobilize all sectors of the community to participate in mechanisms for voluntary and non-profit collection of blood
  • To mandate the Department of Health to establish and organize a National Blood Transfusion Service Network in order to rationalize and improve the provision of adequate and safe supply of blood
  • To provide for adequate assistance to institutions promoting voluntary blood donation and providing non-profit blood services, either through a system of reimbursement for costs from patients who can afford to pay, or donations from governmental and non-governmental entities
  • To require all blood collection units and blood banks/centers to operate on a non-profit basis
  • To establish scientific and professional standards for the operation of blood collection units and blood banks/centers in the Philippines
• BLOOD

  Refers to human blood, processed or unprocessed and includes blood components, its products and derivatives
• BLOOD BANK / BLOOD CENTER


  A laboratory or institution with the capability to recruit and screen blood donors, collect, process, store, transport and issue blood for transfusion and provide information and/ or education on blood transfusion transmissible diseases
• COMMERCIAL BLOOD BANK


  A blood bank that exists for profit
• HOSPITAL-BASED BLOOD BANK


  A blood bank which is located within the premises of a hospital and which can perform compatibility testing of blood
• BLOOD COLLECTION UNIT


  An institution or facility duly authorized by the Department of Health to recruit and screen donors and collect blood
• VOLUNTARY BLOOD DONOR


  One who donates blood on one's own volition or initiative and without monetary compensation
• DEPARTMENT

  The Department of Health
• BLOOD TRANSFUSION TRANSMISSIBLE DISEASES


  Diseases which may be transmitted as a result of blood transfusion, including AIDS, Hepatitis-B, Malaria and Syphilis
• SECRETARY OF HEALTH


  The Secretary of Health or any other person to whom the Secretary delegates the responsibility of carrying out the provisions of this Act
• WALKING BLOOD DONOR


  An individual included in the list of qualified voluntary blood donors who is ready to donate blood when needed in his/her community
• Lead agencies for promotion of voluntary blood donation

  • Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC)
  • Philippine Blood Coordinating Council (PBCC)
• Other agencies involved in promotion of voluntary blood donation

  • Government agencies
  • Local government units
  • Non-governmental organizations
  • All medical organizations
  • All public and private hospitals
  • All health and health-related institutions
  • Print and broadcast media
  • Other sectors
• Promotion of voluntary blood donation in schools

  1. The benefits and rationale of voluntary blood donation shall be included and given emphasis in health subjects of schools, both public and private, across all levels

  2. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall also require such inclusion in its non-formal education curricula
• Agencies involved in professional education on voluntary blood donation

  • Department of Health
  • Philippine Blood Coordinating Council (PBCC)
  • Philippine Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (PSHBT)
  • Philippine Society of Pathologists (PSP)
  • Philippine Medical Association (PMA)
  • Philippine Association of Medical Technologists (PAMET)
  • Philippine Nursing Association (PNA)
• Establishment of blood services network

  Blood centers shall be strategically established in every province and city nationwide within the framework of a National Blood Transfusion Service Network spearheaded by the Department, in coordination with the Philippine National Red Cross
• Setting standards for blood banks/centers and collection units

  The Secretary shall set the standards for the scientific and professional establishment and operation of blood banks/centers and collection units
• Providing training and technical assistance

  The Department shall provide training programs and technical assistance to enable communities, schools, industrial and business sites, barangays, military camps and local government units to implement their own voluntary blood donation programs
• Encouraging the walking blood donor concept

  In areas where there may be inadequate blood banking facilities, the walking blood donor concept shall be encouraged and all government hospitals, rural-health units, health centers and barangays in these areas shall be required to keep at all times a list of qualified voluntary blood donors with their specified blood typing
• Establishing the National Voluntary Blood Services Program

  The Department, in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross and Philippine Blood Coordinating Council and other government agencies and non-governmental organizations shall plan and implement a National Voluntary Blood Services Program (NVBSP) to meet in an evolutionary manner, the needs for blood transfusion in all regions of the country
• Initial funding for the National Voluntary Blood Services Program

  • Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO): initial amount of at least Twenty-five million pesos (P25,000,000)
  • Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR): initial amount of at least Twenty-five million pesos (P25,000,000)
  • Duty Free Shop (Duty Free Philippines): initial amount of at least Twenty million pesos (P20,000,000)
• Phase-out of commercial blood banks

  All commercial blood banks shall be phased-out over a period of two (2) years after the effectivity of this Act, extendable to a maximum period of two (2) years by the Secretary
• Non-profit operation of blood banks/centers

  • All blood banks/centers shall operate on a non-profit basis
  • They may collect service fees not greater than the maximum prescribed by the Department which shall be limited to the necessary expenses entailed in collecting and processing of blood
  • Blood shall be collected from healthy voluntary donors only
• It shall be unlawful for any person to establish and operate a blood bank/center unless it is registered and issued a license to operate by the Department
• In case of emergencies, blood collection and transfusion under the responsibility of the attending physician shall be allowed in hospitals without such license under certain conditions prescribed by the Department
• No license shall be granted or renewed by the Department for the establishment and operation of a blood bank/center unless it complice with the standard prescribed by the department
• All blood banks/centers shall operate on a non-profit basis
• They may collect service fees not greater than the maximum prescribed by the Department which shall be limited to the necessary expenses entailed in collecting and processing of blood
• Blood shall be collected from healthy voluntary donors only
• No license shall be granted or renewed by the Department for the establishment and operation of a blood bank/center unless it complies with the standards prescribed by the Department
• Any blood bank/center which shall collect charges and fees greater than the maximum prescribed by the Department shall have its license suspended or revoked, and any person or persons who shall be responsible for the above violation shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment of not less than one (1) month nor more than six (6) months, or a fine of not less than Five thousand pesos (P5,000) nor more than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000), or both at the discretion of the competent court
• Any person who shall establish and operate a blood bank without securing any license to operate from the Department or who fails to comply with the standards prescribed by the Department referred to in Section 9 hereof shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment of not less than twelve (12) years and one (1) day nor more than twenty (20) years or a fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos (P50.000) nor more than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000), or both at the discretion of the competent court
• The head of the blood bank and the necessary trained personnel under the head's direct supervision found responsible for dispensing, transfusing and failing to dispose, within forty-eight (48) hours, blood which have been proven contaminated with blood transfusion transmissible diseases shall be imprisoned for ten (10) years. This is without prejudice to the filing of criminal charges under the Revised Penal Code
• These rules and regulations are promulgated to protect and promote the health of the people by ensuring available licensed blood service facilities with adequate staff, equipment and resources to perform all the required functions safely, efficiently and effectively
• Authority to Operate

  Refers to the license to operate a blood bank/center issued by the Department of Health
• Blood Bank (BB)


  A facility that collects, processes, stores and distributes blood and blood components
• Blood Center (BC)


  A facility that collects, processes, stores and distributes blood and blood components, and may also perform reference and other specialized testing
• Blood Collection Unit

  A facility that can recruit and screen donors, collects blood from voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors.
• Blood Services Network


  An organization composed of the designated BCs, hospital BBs, BCUs, BSs, end-user hospitals, and other health facilities established to provide for the blood needs of a specific geographical area