PINT OF BLOOD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 143, 20 June 1938, Page 5

PINT OF BLOOD.

WHAT CASH VALUE ? 1 ENGLISH CONTROVERSY. 1 PRESENT PAYMENT A GUINEA, f , [ i An illuminating correspondence has been proceeding in the Yorkshire papers 1 (England) on the subject of paytuent of I blood donors, says a bulletin of the I Wellington Blood Transfusion Service, I which makes no charge for its sen ices. e It appears that in Sheffield a fee of II a guinea per transfusion is paid by the e hospitals, and apparently this w insufficient to attract enough vo unteers, das recently an appeal for • additional L members was launched, drawing attenff tion to the fact that for a recent ease 11 nine calls had to be made before a donor could be obtained. e This drew a flood of letters from exist- ! inn- members, most of them modestly I conscious of the heroism of their efforts '■ and protesting that a guinea was a , paltry payment for such a noble action. In the early days, it seems, five guineas II was the standard fee, but this has been 5 gradually reduced to the present sum. (. “When you look at a pint of blood,” s |says one, “and are given £1 1/ for it. I 51 think it is too little. It is worth £2 2/ Ja pint; if more money was given there would be more donors.” Another claims 5 that he lias given 70 transfusions, two f in 36 hours and two in 48. hours. He lias I pp.i-ncfo-i ag" hist tl'c reduction oy .fee. e A third writer, evidently not * inttor, i strongly supports an increase on the ground’that the payment is inadequate Ifor such a great sacrifice, and tells how his father used to make a regular praci tice of blood letting “until more enlighti ened friends persuaded him to cease, i showing the need for every drop of blood he had?’ 'This writer suggests that the f State should undertake the payment of f donors. ] A fourth sets out the diet he adopts r to enable him to stand the strain, and t proudly mentions that he accepts the feo but gives back the odd shilling!