Blood donation and transfusion : ethical aspects

Abstract

The gift of life is an enduring testimonial connected with the noble act of blood donation. Blood donation and transfusion is unique due to the anonymity of benevolent donors, besides its life-saving effect on the recipient. Often a time, the question is not whether the recipients consent to receive the donated blood, but whether both the recipients and the donors’ consent to the marginal hazards which may be implicated in the act. Within this scenario, a medico, socio, ethico-legal, spiritual and psychological responsibility for both healthcare personnel, blood donors and recipients, arises. The prominent ethical debate in view of payment for blood donation has been weighed down with arguments about whether this would lead to the exploitation of donors. Voluntary non-remunerated blood donors (VNRBD) who are of the opinion that there should not be any means of payments or incentives for their blood donation, may be put off by such a method (paid donation). With the implementation of recognised guidelines, haemovigilance points toward organising inspection measures that will fit into place with the whole blood transfusion chain. Certainly, the act of blood donation and transfusion implies important duties and obligations. Making sustainable use of blood components is a duty owed both to the blood donor and to the blood transfusion unit which offers its secure utility. This multifaceted subject has cultivated innumerable debates, especially those dealing with the proper utility of blood products and the altruistic nature of the act of blood donation.