Senator Martha Peralta Epieyú, filed this Tuesday in the General Secretariat of the Senate, the Bill “By means of which provisions are dictated to prohibit discrimination in the blood donation process, improve the safety of donors and transfused patients, and guarantee the availability and access to blood and its blood components in the country.”
This initiative seeks to prohibit discrimination in the blood donation process based exclusively on reasons of sexual orientation or gender identity and not to consider it a risk factor; on the other hand, to strengthen and guarantee the availability and access to blood, especially in peripheral territories with difficult access where there is not a large presence of health providers and blood banks.
In this regard, the senator states that: “In Colombia there are nine departments that do not have blood banks, including La Guajira. How is that possible? Health is a fundamental right and access to blood is essential to guarantee adequate care in emergency situations, surgeries and medical treatments that require transfusions.”
The PL also seeks to improve the safety of donors and transfused patients; and finally, to guarantee timely access to blood in emergency situations for the poor and vulnerable population: to reduce the numerous situations in which, due to unforeseen emergencies, the poor and vulnerable population of municipalities without blood banks are prevented from accessing blood to save the lives of their relatives.
“Blood is a resource of public interest and an essential therapeutic component for various medical events that require oxygen management and volume compensation. Therefore, it is essential to guarantee sufficient, safe, affordable and timely availability of blood and its blood components, in order to meet the needs of patients,” said the congresswoman from La Guajira.
The Bill consists of 12 articles, will begin its course in the Congress of the Republic in the Seventh Commission of the Senate and must go through 4 debates to become Law of the Republic. Peralta Epieyú considers it essential to end the discriminatory gaps that limit the blood donation process in our country, since health is a fundamental right enshrined in the Colombian Political Constitution and an essential pillar for the well-being and development of society.
