Cops raid illegal blood bank

Police arrested three employees and rounded up 28 blood donors in an early morning raid at a suspected illegal commercial blood bank in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

The raid came after several days of surveillance of the Philippine Blood Bank located at the corner of Felix Huertas and Tayuman streets in Sta. Cruz following reports that it is engaged in the illegal sourcing and distribution of human blood to some hospitals and patients undergoing dialysis, according to Sta. Cruz police station chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula.

“We have monitored the early-morning operations of the Philippine Blood Bank wherein it closes its doors after letting in several prospective blood donors inside,” Sapitula said.

During the raid led by Inspector John Guiagui, the 28 donors were found to have tattoos and piercings on their bodies, and in poor health. The Department of Health (DOH) guidelines disallow such people to become blood donors. Others were observed to be drunk, Sapitula added.

Police recovered several slides and vials and three 450-cc bags of blood as well as a weighing scale, microscope, balancer and centrifuge from the laboratory.

Police also recovered strips of aluminum foil and a tooter from the restroom, indicating that the donors could be drug users, too, Sapitula said.

A blood donor said he was paid P280 for 450 cc’s of blood taken from him. He said he used to have his blood taken every week. Others said they are the bank’s usual sources of blood, and no questions are asked of them when they donate.

“The selling of my blood is the only moral job I knew, rather than stealing. However, I felt getting weaker and weaker for every session,” said a 60-year-old donor.

The arrested personnel were identified as Erwin Masangkay, 26, the bank’s medical technologist; Rogelio Sanchez, 55, doorman; and Artemio Tan, 49, janitor. The alleged owner of the blood bank, a certain Eduardo Roda, and Dr. Leonisa Sagun, a pathologist, were not around at the time of the raid.

Masangkay, who receives P9,000 a month from the blood bank, admitted having not passed the board for medical technologists.

The blood bank has no business permit from the Manila City Hall, Sapitula said. The STAR learned that the Philippine Blood Bank is one of several commercial blood banks ordered by the DOH “to cease and desist from operating” since Nov. 3, 2008.

Other commercial blood banks that were ordered to stop operating are the Blue Cross Blood Bank, People’s Blood Bank, Holy Redeemer Blood Bank, Avenue Blood Bank and Re-Cor Blood Bank, all located in Sta. Cruz, Manila; the Doctor’s Blood Bank in Ermita; and the Our Lady of Fatima Blood Bank in Sampaloc.

Under Section 7 of the National Blood Services Act of 1994 (Republic Act 7719) all commercial blood banks should be phased out two years after the effectivity of the law.