THE NATIONAL Blood Transfusion Service has already garnered $2 million since it increased fees for the processing of blood for private hospitals and started charging government hospitals.
In May, the Blood Trans-fusion Service announced that it would begin charging hospitals across the island $3,000 per unit for the processing of blood, in an effort to boost revenue for its operating expenses. The cash-flow problems were attributed to a number of sources, including a lack of adequate financial support and commitment from the Government.
This has led to some "suppliers not wanting to supply us until they get paid", Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Grace Haynes said last year.
Last Wednesday, Dr. Haynes said it cost $80 million to run the transfusion service annually. "We have to try to recover some of the cost so we are billing them now," she added.
The new charges, which should have been implemented in July, but did not get under way until October 2000, saw a 50 per cent increase from $1,500 being paid by private hospitals and 100 per cent increase for government hospitals, which were not previously charged, but which used most of the blood.
Dr. Haynes told The Gleaner that hospitals "had promised to pay every quarter." While not challenging the fee, hospital administrators had insisted that their facilities could not absorb the cost of processing blood because of higher operational costs and a limited budget. They had added that this move would force them to pass the cost on to their patients.
