Money for blood ruled out

WHILE the blood bank is anxious to get more donations, the question of paying people to give blood as way of boosting supplies has been ruled out, it was learned yesterday.

Chairwoman of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service Maura McGrath said paying people for blood was a very controversial issue and the blood bank considered it inappropriate at this stage. The challenge, she said, was getting people to see the need to give blood regularly in a positive light.

“Just 3% of the population make blood donations. Our challenge now is to increase that to around 6% or 7% then we would not have to look at payment” she said at the launch of the IBTS’s 2004 report.