Lack of blood donors in Armenia
Becoming a donor is a humanitarian act and helps save thousands of people's lives. Understanding the importance of becoming a donor, over 120 students of the Armenian State Pedagogical University after Kh. Abovyan went to the Hematological Center after Prof. R. H. Yolyan to donate blood today.
Blood donor Tamara Ghazaryan says she decided to come and participate because she was aware that donating her blood could help save somebody's life.
The action called "My blood is your blood" was organized by Head of Healthcare Programs of the Youth Foundation of Armenia Arusyak Poghosyan, who mentioned that only the increase of volunteer donors can help save people's lives.
Head of the Hematological Center Smbat Daghbashyan noted that the public at large has the wrong impression that the blood is sold to the patient. He assured that the blood is examined at the laboratory and a symbolic price of 7,000-10,000 drams is set. "That is not the price of blood because we know that blood is priceless," said Daghbashyan.
According to the doctor, the patient doesn't pay for the blood, if the donor is his or her relative and the RA Ministry of Health covers the expenses for examining the components of the blood that has been donated.
According to the doctor, there are many cases when Armenian patients' relatives don't even want to donate blood, but prefer to purchase blood from donors and the reason for that is lack of propaganda.
Smbat Daghbashyan assured that there is clearly a lack of donors in Armenia. "All issues related to blood are solved in all parts of the world when at least 20 out of 100 people become blood donors. Unfortunately, only 0.4 percent out of 1,000 Armenians become blood donors."
