Mogilev blood donors stood for their benefits

Whether regula citizens can protect themselves and to stand on for their rights? Blood donors of Mogilev region proved they can.

There are over 40 thousand honorary blood donors in Belarus

Over two million of Belarusians were blood donors at least once in their lifetime. Every third inhabitant of the country needed donor’s blood at some point. The volume of blood and plasma donations in Belarus constitutes 40.4 per thousand of population. It is an average indicator in Europe, which corresponds to the level of France or Estonia. Belarusian index is higher than those in Russia or Poland however lower than German or Danish (60 – 70 blood donations per thousand of population there). The number of donors decreased by 50% in the past ten years while the necessary volume of blood collected increased by 15% and constituted 18.1 ml of blood per citizen of the country in 2007. There are over 40 thousand honorary blood donors in the country. This data was provided by the Director of the Scientific and Research Institute for Hematology and Transfusion, Mr. Mikhail Potapnev.

There was a Law of the Republic of Belarus “On donations of blood and its components”. In compliance with Articles 13 and 14 of this law, honorary donors had a right for free of charge dental services (except implants from porcelain, valuable metals and metal ceramics); free of charge sanatorium and recuperation treatment once a year; 50% discount for drugs; retirement by age pensions were higher by 40%. In some regions donors also had so-called local benefits (for instance, donors in Mogilev region in 1998 had a right for free of charge use of public transport).

Negotiations lead to nothing

A year ago Belarusian donors launched an active campaign regarding protection of their right for benefits, which were supposed to be abolished. Back then a wide public discussion started regarding the draft Law on reorganization of benefits for certain groups of people, which stipulated that donors were to loose all their benefits.

To start with, donors tried to hold negotiations with the government, Deputies of the Parliament, officials of the Ministry of Health Protection. Officials kept recalling the semantics of the word ‘donor’, i.e. they said it derived from the word ‘donate’. They were referring to the World Health Organisation’s recommendations, which welcomed voluntary non-remunerated blood donations. Officials referred to the fact that the Belarusian donors had the largest number of various benefits and social guarantees. The Deputy Head of the Scientific and Research Institute for Hematology and Transfusion, Ms. Esfir Svirnovskaya stressed that donors would still have such benefits as free meals in the course of the day of donation and paid for two days of work left. She believed that abolishment of benefits would not influence every day blood donations. Donors were asking whether the officials of the Ministry of Health Protection calculated the amount of input into the state budget after all the benefits for over 40 thousand honored donors were abolished. A representative of the Department of the Medical care organization of the Ministry of Health, Ms. Tatiana Migal, said that the Ministry had not made the calculations however she admitted that the amount would not be significant enough to save the economy of the country…

From a warning strike to an appeal to the Council of Europe

Donors of Mogilev region realized that negations with the officials would lead to nothing and on 20 June 2007 they announced a ‘warning’ strike, which lasted for a week. Over 200 people in Mogilev took part in it. They were supported by donors from other regions of Belarus.

Participants of the ‘warning’ strike addressed appeals to the House of Representatives, Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Health Protection with a request to preserve the existing benefits. They also addressed a letter to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, with a request to explain the Belarusian donors the policy of the Council of Europe with regard to the blood and plasma donations. They have received a reply that “the CoE would not recommend the state officials to stop supporting donors” as well as a package of documents regarding EU recommendations related to donors’ support, existing standards in the area of blood donations, etc.

An informal leader of donors from the Mogilev region, Igor Kovalenko, launched a campaign in order to set up an NGO “A Drop of Blood”

A drop is ruining a rock…

The fight of the Mogilev donors with the authorities regarding preservation of benefits, which lasted for over half a year, finally lead to a concrete result. On 21 December the Deputies of the Mogilev City Council adopted a decision regarding the free of charge use of public transport by donors. “It was extremely hard to fight with the authorities. We launched a wide-spread campaign, which included a number of informational, performance and strike actions in order to make the society aware about the risks of being left without donor’s help”, said the informal leader of Mogilev donors, Igor Kovalenko. The Mogilev City Deputies returned the right of donors for free of charge use of public transport. The next step was undertaken in spring 2008, when Mogilev donors managed to register charity civic association “A Drop of Blood”.

Just recently, on 21 July, the Mogilev Oblast Council of Deputies informed in its letter that all city and regional administrations had to provide the honored donors with the free of charge use of public transport. Moreover, donors were restored in their right to go on vacation when it suited them, to receive discounts at recuperation centres and to have two additional days of holidays. All companies also have to preview material compensations to their workers who are donors on the Day of Donor.

“It is a wonderful example of how one should stand for his or her rights and to continue fighting. Mogilev donors were fighting for a free of charge use of public transport and in the same time they defended their dignity”, pointed out the leader of a non-registered movement “For Freedom”, Aleksandr Milinkevich.

Today the Mogilev donors continue their fight for free of charge dental services and for 50% discount on drugs.

Europe stands for volunteer blood donations

In practice, only 26 out of 52 countries of the European region have national programmes for volunteer donors. The World Health Organisation addressed the society through its official web-site: “Remunerated blood donations quite frequently attract marginal groups to blood donations, which benefit from it and regard it as a source of income… The World Health Organisation strategically promotes blood transfusion services on voluntary, non-remunerated base from safe blood donors who are conscious and donate blood regularly”.

Ludmila Korsak