Parliament to Secure Supply of Donor Blood by Law
Published: Wednesday, Sep 13th 2023, 09:40
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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The Swiss Parliament has passed a law to ensure the supply of blood and blood products to the population. The law, which was proposed by the National Council's Commission for Social Security and Health, will be voted on in the final stages. Until now, the blood donation service has not been explicitly recognised as a public task by the legislature, nor has there been a service contract between the federal government and the blood donation service. The law will now enshrine the principle of free and voluntary blood donation in law. The financing of the blood donation service will remain a private task and will be covered by the sale of blood products. In addition, the law prohibits any form of discrimination, such as on the basis of sexual orientation, when donating blood. The criteria for excluding someone from donating blood must be based on individual risk behaviour and science. Last year, the supply of blood products in Switzerland was always guaranteed despite seasonal fluctuations. 265,223 blood donations were taken. The number of blood donations decreased compared to the previous year by around one percent.nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
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