Donating Blood in China Experiences & Opinions

From Tianya, “Today went to donate blood…Angry!!!“:

Today, the work unit organized a blood donation. A few days ago, I registered to volunteer, but our office has a minimum target (not only is it non-remunerated blood donation, they are also starting to assign targets to work units). I am the youngest, and though I am very disgusted with some aspects of non-remunerated blood donations, since I believe there are no big impact on the body, I volunteered. However, today has made me feel very “upset.”

First was a physical examination, but the physical examination was in fact only measuring blood pressure and heart rate, and then afterward blood tests. But I did not get tested. Because I had donated once before in 2003 (this was my fourth time), the doctor asked me if I had a physical examination recently. I said I am not sure which year I had a physical examination. He muttered that since I had donated in 2003, there was no problem, and there was no need to get a blood test and to go directly draw blood. I do not know if my blood will be tested once before it is used, and though I do not think there will be any problems with my blood, I thought this kind of behavior did not seem to be very responsible.

Then I went into the blood collection van, there was already a colleague donating blood, so we laughingly while we waited there. I saw that he already reached 200ccs so I said loudly: He is done. But I heard a voice say: Need to donate 300cc. I immediately was very upset, and said: since when did you start automatically taking 300cc without first getting permission? No one directly answered my question. Because I had seen a post before encouraging people to donate 400cc, I was very disgusted with this kind of behavior. I did not think they would now not even ask before directly drawing 300cc. If you request, they can only take 200cc. Although neither 200cc or 300cc will affect me, I still felt kind of cheated and disgusted.

I am a teacher. In front of me was a female teacher getting her blood drawn. Her blood vessels are small, so the speed was very slow, and when she saw it was class time (the blood collection van was in at our school), she became very worried. The blood collection staff very reluctantly said: Then just wait until 200cc. After finally reaching 200cc, the class bell had already rung, but the blood collection staff still wanted her to continue until 300cc. If it was not for this teacher being in a hurry to go to class, they would have definitely made her give 300cc.

A male teacher, after drawing 100cc had a negative reaction. The staff hurriedly asked what was the situation, obviously wanting him to continue, but only after the teacher said he could no longer see clearly did they reluctantly to pull out the needle and let him lie down to rest. A while later, a staff member said to another staff member: this 100cc cannot be used, just give him as a souvenir, no need to provide a proof [of donation]. As if she was being charitable to him! ! ! The souvenir is only a glass cup and some sour milk. So I asked if the 100cc that he gave was completely useless? They explained that there was not much use for it. So do they only take 300cc now, and 100cc is useless? I remember back when I was attending school that donating 100cc was a very normal thing. In the end, this teacher did not get a proof of blood donation.

In the past, after giving blood, they would give you a cup of hot milk, now no longer.

Donating blood, I volunteered for, but as for whether I will again in the future, I do not know.

Comments from Tianya:

You still drink milk? Originally it was meant to nourish your body [after donating blood], now it just adds stones, do you want?

I was once cheated out of 400mL, I will not go again.

In May, I also went to donate blood (fifth time). From Small West Gate to the Square, I circled several times looking for the blood collection van (its location changes). It was a military corps blood collection van, and I found time during work to go. The woman in charge saw that I was sturdy and insisted I donate 400. I said I had work to do the next day, and only would donate 200. That woman kept talking and talking, and would not give up until she got what she wanted. I was in a bad mood and insisted on only giving 200. It really affected my mood, these workers really do not consider the feelings of blood donors. Though, when I celebrated my birthday in July, I received a text message from the military corps blood collection wishing me well, which was a small pleasant surprise.

The first time I went to donate blood, that blood collector kept wanting me to donate 400. At the time, I did not understand, so I thought I might as well go ahead donate it all, besides my weight was enough, the country standards were written there, saying there was no problem. After my mom found out after I returned, she was pissed, and scolded me, saying that the first time donating blood cannot donate that much, then started t curse that black-hearted blood collector who just wanted to finish their job, hehe.

Really disgusted…the first time I went to donate blood, I originally wanted to donate the largest amount I could, but later they said there were too much of my blood type already, and only took half…sad…

Fuck! Do not bring this up! You donated blood for free! You you will understand when the time comes when you want to use blood! Their so-called free blood for donor family members! You will cry to death when you go to make a claim [for the free blood you think you will get for having been a donor]! Scientists say donating blood is no problem! In fact, they also say it actually good for the body! But someone I know whose body used to be very very good became obviously worse after donating blood! Gets sick~wheezes~ai! ~Donating blood is glorious!! Haha~helpless…

Up till now, I have already donated 1600cc. Every time is 400cc/Now when you go, it is essentially automatically 400 and they will not ask you how much. Unless you strongly refuse.
What is more, the blood donation workers these days are very rude. They treat you as if donating blood is what you are supposed to do, and are reluctant to even pour you a cup of water.

I never go donate blood!
Because according to what I know, hospitals take the flesh and blood of ordinary people through free blood donors, sell it to patients who need blood in the hospitals, and do you know how much they sell it for? This is a no-cost business for hospitals, why should I want face and make myself suffer? If hospitals had medical ethics, they should not be disorderly, charge so much money, …???
Only until the day everything is transparent and safe will I go donate.
Do not say that blood donors have some kind of priority blood-use benefit, do you all really believe that? Without money, you will be immediately thrown into the mortuary!

Our country now separates blood donation into three types:
Individually supplied blood, compulsory blood donation, free blood donation.
Individually supplied blood: Selling blood, professional blood seller! Now, in order to control blood quality, the country controls very tightly! This is also “Blood Donation Law” …???
Compulsory blood donation: Planned blood donation, work unit organized forced blood donation! This is also a method to compel people! Cannot buy blood, free blood donations, no one wants to donate! Only this way! China characteristics!
Free blood donation: This should be promoted! It is also the direction the whole world is developing towards!

Donating blood in China = mental retard.

Really is frightening. Because I have anemia, I never donate blood, now I am even more afraid to go. I am afraid that if I donate 400cc, they will want me to come back. Though we are donating blood for free, hospitals do not give it to patients for free, so who is taking that money? All taken away by those black-hearted doctors.

Comments from Hangzhou Net Forum:

You release blood, others take money!

I really like blood products.

You give blood, they sell blood, you are a stupid…

How much blood is to be donated is established before donating, even though they will let you donate 400, if you insist on only drawing 200, they will not draw more. But I do not know if the situation for work unit organized [blood donations] are different.

Comments from Tiexue (Iron Blood):

China, where there are all kinds of strange things, just get used to it.
Do not ask for milk, it is dangerous, hehe.

Regarding whether the blood you donated will be tested, you can relax, all the bags of blood are taken back to be tested before they are used. If they find a probem, especially a problem with your health, the medical establishment will contact you, otherwise why would they ask you to fill out forms, this is very normal, everywhere is the same, you will understand after donating a few times. Donating blood once every year is also good for your own health.
But the thing at the end is definitely not right. There are always people saying chinese people freely donate blood, China hospitals sell for high prices. Blood in operations is very expensive. I know a cardiovascular doctor, he never donates blood, the reason is because he dislikes China’s medical system. He thinks that even if they cannot give it to patients for free, at least make it cheaper, especially since it is all drawn from everyone’s blood vessels, and then selling it for a high price, would this not be a no-cost business?

If it was me, I would have slapped her to help her remember what she is supposed to say, what she is supposed to do.

Donating blood I will not go do. Why should freely donated blood be sold expensively to those who need blood? Another thing is that the tests are not enough.

It is a good thing, but it has been made bad by those with ulterior motives. I will say this to you, I will never go donate blood in this lifetime!

Where are you from? I donated before, at Chengdu’s Tianfu Square, and the service attitude was very good. Regrettably, the next day when returning to school, the school announced that everyone can register to donate blood, and that each person can get 200 RMB for 200cc. I was so sad.

Free blood donation’s contributions to society is more than its abuses…”lou zhu’s” phenomenon is the minority. Do not use one example to smear everything…
I still support free blood donations…I have already donated about 10 times…

I am a woman, I will never donate blood~~
My family has someone who works in a hospital. This family member upon donating blood for the first time told the whole family to not carelessly donate blood.
One reason is that some people will get an incurable disease from donating blood.
I asked with wide-eyes: “How can this be? Is this not all handled by hospitals? How can they not guarantee the use of qualified medical instruments?”
Reply: “Some people, for some reason, will use unqualified medical instruments, and therefore lead to kind blood donors getting AIDS, even though the chances of this kind of thing happening are extremely extremely low, but if this thing happened to you, that so-called chance would be 100%. That result would be to stay at home and wait to die.

In the past, I went to school in Hebei’s Shijiazhuang. At that time, the train station had a volunteer blood donation van near it. My classmates and I went to donate before. That was my first time donating. Because I had never tested my blood type, the doctor tested my blood type that time, the result was O-type, and such was my donation experience.
When I went to donate again after half a year, I asked the doctor that was testing blood there to test my blood type again, but that doctor would not agree, saying that the previous time determined that I was O-type, so it must be O-type, so in the end I donated as O-type blood.
Now that I have returned home. the past half year I went to the blood collection station here to donate blood. The first time I went, while filling out the forms, I filled out my blood type as O-type. Later the doctor gave me a blood test and told me I was not O-type, am A-type. I wanted to faint. When the doctor heard that I was tested as O-type before, he tested me again and I was still A-type. As a result of me being more tired at the time, some parts of my blood exceeded normal levels, so that time I did not successfully donate. After I went again half a month later, the doctor again tested me and the result was A-type.
I do not want to say where is good or bad, I just think that doctor as well as their team was too irresponsible. If they could not test my blood type correctly, how can they go save the dying and nurse the wounded? I say the doctor is irresponsible because he could not even test blood correctly. I saw their team is too irresponsible because the second time I went and asked to be tested again they would not do it.

Every year I will donate once or twice. Actually, I also know blood stations and hospitals are pretty black, but upon thinking that my blood will very likely save another person’s life, I still go.