Many millions but little results in blood donation plan
<p><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">It was in the context of a national program to guarantee the population's access to blood as well as its components. However, the only state that managed to meet their goal for blood donations was Jujuy. After five years and just over $9 million dollars spent only in the last three years, there is still no system of hemotherapy. Once again, the health system is under scrutiny. </span></p> <div> </div>
From 2007 through 2010 $9 million dollars were invested for the National Blood Program. Its goals for 2010 were made up of 50% voluntary donations, however, during the year the percentage had to be reduced to 30%. Nevertheless, the General Auditor's Office (AGN) said that not only was the goal not reached, but the real percentage of voluntary blood donations didn’t even reach 20%.
However, the auditors did point out that the state of "Jujuy did meet their goal" because they reached 36% of voluntary blood donations. Another state that was very close to reaching their goals, and made an "acceptable performance" was San Luis, who made it to 28%. Also close were Buenos Aires and Tierra del Fuego, who got 27%.
According to the report "the plan for voluntary donors was not even executed -in one in four states, during the first two years." In the following two years, only 14% of the country carried the operations as planned.
Since 2006, the program is within the Project of Essential Public Health Functions (FESP) and signed with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (BIRF) and under the support of the Department of Health. It was signed following "the principle of equal opportunities to health services for the entire population towards eliminating social differences".
In the proposed goal of voluntary donors, the program failed on a national level since it failed to reach the 30% aim. According to AGN, since the addition of FESP, they "continued the upward trend that existed before their incorporation"; therefore, they conclude FESP’s contribution was "not significant" and "did nothing to improve state levels”.
By 2007, there were 227 Blood Banks in the country. One of the program's objectives was to "reduce the quantity and organize them into 28 core branches: one for each province, the City of Buenos Aires and four in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires". However, in three years the total number only dropped to 137. However, in some states they did manage to have only one bank, as Formosa Jujuy and La Rioja. In some states like Tierra del Fuego the total number of blood banks actually increased, from three to four, while in Mendoza and Santiago del Estero the number remains the same, 11 and seven respectively.
More goals, more failures
Even though every state agreed to carry out the activities related to the National Blood Program the audit detected a low level of participation. For example, in 2009, "only 10% of the jurisdictions had joined the National Registry for Hemotherapy Service". During the following year, "the percentage rose to 30%", but still remains below their goal.
Regarding the integration of friendly organizations and businesses donating blood to the Registry, the federal watchdog noted that "in 2009 only one state carried out this activity." In 2010, "only one out of every four states had actually carried out the plan.”
According to the data presented by the auditors, in 2009 community awareness as well as training was part of 38% of jurisdictions, in 2010 this number rose to 47%.
In everything concerning data logging, the fact that the program is framed in the Draft Essential of Public Health Functions "made no significant contribution.” AGN noted in the report published in March 2013, that "not all states contributed their information on blood donations, volunteers and blood banks to the Program data on general donations that number rose to eight the following year."