QuestionsQuestions (DOH ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2005-0002)
It is issued to establish the Philippine National Blood Services (PNBS) pursuant to R.A. 7719 (National Blood Services Act of 1994), specifically Sections 5 (National Voluntary Services Program) and 6 (Upgrading of Services and Facilities). It amends pertinent provisions of DOH Administrative Order No. 9, s. 1995, which implemented R.A. 7719.
They include: (a) promoting and encouraging voluntary blood donation; (b) providing adequate, safe, affordable, and equitable distribution of blood and blood products; and (c) mandating the Department of Health to establish and organize a National Blood Transfusion Network to rationalize and improve adequate and safe supply of blood.
It covers all facilities—both government and private—throughout the country that provide blood services.
A BSF is a unit, agency, or institution providing blood products. Types mentioned are Blood Station, Blood Collection Unit, Hospital Blood Bank, and Blood Center (Regional, Subnational, and National).
It is authorized by DOH CHD and provides: (1) whole blood and packed red cells; (2) storage and issuance of whole blood/packed red cells; and (3) compatibility testing of red cell units if hospital-based.
A BCU recruits and retains voluntary blood donors, screens and selects qualified donors, provides health education and counseling, collects blood from qualified voluntary donors, and transports collected blood units to a blood center for testing, processing, and distribution.
A Blood Center is licensed by DOH BHFS and is capable of donor care, collection, processing, storage, issuance, transport, and distribution of whole blood and blood products, and (for certain center types) testing for five infectious disease markers. An End-User Hospital is a hospital with a licensed clinical laboratory for red cell typing and cross-matching but has no licensed blood service facility; it only receives blood/components as needed.
It is an informal organization composed of designated blood centers and hospital blood banks, blood stations, and end-user hospitals established to provide blood needs for a specific geographical area.
The Secretary of Health chairs it. It is the governing body of the PNBS and approves policies, standards/SOPs, strategic plan directions, fund allocation and utilization monitoring, capabilities development, committee creation, and certification of importation privileges.
The text lists (not limited to): Philippine National Red Cross, Philippine Blood Coordinating Council, Philippine Society of Pathologists, Philippine Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, and the Director/CEO of the Philippine Blood Center.
It shall meet at least quarterly or as necessary depending on the chairperson’s discretion. Non-DOH members are entitled to per diems for meetings attended.
Examples include: donor recruitment/retention and care; collection and testing for infectious disease markers (HIV 1/2-Ab, HBsAg, HCVAb, syphilis reagin, and malarial parasites); processing whole blood into components; pheresis; storage/issuance/transport/distribution; quality assurance of subnational and selected regional centers; and specialized confirmatory/reference tests.
For certain Blood Centers: Anti-HIV 1/2, Anti-HCV, HBsAg, Syphilis, and Malaria.
No, hospital retesting is generally not required because units issued by the Philippine Blood Center, Subnational Blood Centers, and Regional Blood Centers under PNBS need not be retested by hospitals. However, retesting may be done if the attending physician deems it warranted, using reagents recommended by the NVBSP Technical Committee and paying corresponding laboratory fees.
Hospitals and other health facilities shall only use blood and blood products for transfusion from licensed and authorized blood centers.
Each authorized Blood Collection Unit and Apheresis Facility shall be under the supervision of the National, Subnational, or Regional Blood Center. Their functions include donor recruitment/retention and care, screening/selection, health education/counseling, collection of blood from qualified donors, and transporting units to the blood center for testing and processing.
Funding sources include national government allocations, PCSO and PAGCOR, PhilHealth reimbursement (directly or through hospitals), and blood service fees (government and private hospitals). A trust fund is to be established from blood service fees, donations, and revenues. PhilHealth reimburses PNBS blood centers for services and blood products provided, with conditions such as: the unit is from a voluntary blood donor; testing is done only at designated centers; and transfusion follows indications for rational blood use.
The separability clause provides that if any provision is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the validity of other provisions is not affected unless otherwise specified. The effectivity clause states it takes effect immediately.