Blood drive for soldiers canceled ("Potential legal liability")

[rainbow4321]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13942506&BRD=1426&PAG=461&dept_id=528208&rfi=6

Plano mother Linda Garcia cries when talking about the cancellation of Saturday's blood drive at VFW Hall in Plano. It would have provided blood for her military son, Christopher, 23, and his military colleagues around the world.

The VFW's weekend plans, though, came to a halt last week. Potential legal liability issues forced the Army to cancel, said Perry Jefferies, a blood donor recruiter. If a blood donor had an adverse reaction, the Army requires giving them free medical treatment at a nearby military facility. The Army faced hospital bills when a donor had a severe reaction in December, said Perry Jefferies, the blood donor recruiter from Fort Hood's Darnall Army Community Hospital that worked with Plano veterans.

The Army canceled 14 blood drives organized through Fort Hood and sent memos from Ellen Embrey, deputy assistant secretary of defense, to everyone involved. Darnall's Robertson Blood Center at Fort Hood is the largest blood collection facility in the Department of the Army. "We've looked at every possible alternative from having donors sign a waiver to asking them to show proofs of insurance. Nothing's been decided," Jefferies said.

Many military donors who were stationed in Europe for extended periods in the 1980s and early 1990s cannot donate because of the possibility of transmitting Mad Cow disease, according to the Armed Services Blood Program's Web site. "The only ones they are hurting are the troops in the field. They have to find a way to get the blood they need," King said.

[noamnety]

1. There's a regular donation center not too far from Plano

open 6 days a week, 15 miles from her.

http://listings.dallasobserver.com/gyrobase/Events/Results?location=oid%3A6271

So I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about.

[VegasWolf]

2. What about potential "lethal" opportunity if there is no blood mister

compassionate conservative?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. On cancelling the blood drive:

I can tell you, since I work for a blood bank, that their given reasons for cancelling the blood drive sound bogus. What potential legal liabilities are they talking about? The chance of any adverse reaction to giving blood by a healthy, well-fed person are remote. I'm not saying that reactions don't happen; they do. But we screen all potential donors, and any who don't qualify are thanked and sent on their way.
Most reactions, BTW, are limited to light-headedness and sometimes a little queasiness. These are treated quickly and the donor normally recovers quickly. Severe reactions (passing out, throwing up) are much less likely, but are also handled quickly and expertly. It's a real shame that the blood drive was cancelled. People feel involved and helpful, and by giving blood, they truly are. It doesn't come out of a can, for heaven's sake!

[catnhatnh]

4. Blood drives have become horseshit....

....since the mid 80's.I quit after giving 40 pints when the nonsense became too extreme.As an EMT I was forced to admit I had been exposed to HIV.This routinely led to a 20-30 minute delay till the head nurse would ask if I had taken "special precautions" meaning a mask and gloves.I had...We handled poor,infected,inner city gays and IV users with obvious lesions...these are people you DON'T transport casually...When I received my license we knew about what we then called "the gay plague"...At my last donation,after being asked "Did you take special precautions?", I replied,"Yep,I never kissed them on the mouth...."Needless to say this ended my career as a blood donor... what it came down to was ridiculous questions that required only the correct reply and the fact that I could honestly do so was not worth the extra hour or so on top of the bloated hour and a half (minimum) it already took...

[Coastie for Truth]

5. I'm a Red Cross Disaster Services Volunteer- and a Blood Donor

and I get the same perfunctory questions too.

I regard the questioning as legal gobbledygook to cover their butts - and respond accordingly.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Hmmm, the questions aren't just perfunctory or butt-covering, IMHO.

The questions are meant to reveal any activities by the would-be donor that might cause the blood to contain infectious agents. We truly want all the donated blood to be free of infections! And that's it!