Blood price

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artistdani

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Mar 13, 2012
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I understand that when someone needs blood, family and friends rally and give blood to supply the need. What if there is no sufficient blood (either type or quantity)? I am told they need to purchase it, even in a public hospital. So out of curiosity, what is the price of purchasing a pint of blood? Do people sell their blood - scary thought - but I can see that if the price of a pint is too much some people might pay a person to go give blood. I guess if I know I have surgery coming up I can bank my own blood. How far in advance? How does it all work?

Just curious. Thanks.
 
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dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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quota de recuperacion in public hospitals has been recently removed, not sure it also included such things as blood.
people sell their blood everywhere in the world; in poland when you give blood you can either be paid or give it for free. i gave mine for free and got a cinnamon bun with tea after initial tests and then full meal plus 6 chocolates after the blood was taken :)
you can store your own blood providing you are healthy and all is fine, there are blood banks in DR, unfortunately i know nothing more in regards to payment for those services.
 
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Castle

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I believe blood banks in DR work on an exchange basis. You need to provide as many pints of blood as you need from them. A friend of mine had to gather a few of his friends and family to donate to the blood bank in order to get the blood his mother needed for a transfusion. His mother's blood type is not very common so he had to get blood from different blood banks. He told me he did pay a service fee, though small. Can't remember for sure, but I think it was RD$ 500 per pint.
 
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Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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Most people in public hospitals will be told to purchase blood before any procedure. To the best of my knowledge they have to pay around RD$2,500, although it does vary by hospital. I have never known the blood be used, in over 100 cases. The money is never refunded afterwards either.

Matilda
 
K

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Castle said:
I believe blood banks in DR work on an exchange basis. You need to provide as many pints of blood as you need from them. A friend of mine had to gather a few of his friends and family to donate to the blood bank in order to get the blood his mother needed for a transfusion. His mother's blood type is not very common so he had to get blood from different blood banks. He told me he did pay a service fee, though small. Can't remember for sure, but I think it was RD$ 500 per pint.
Click to expand...

No, at least not in 2008 when my wife was in intensive care in HOMS before she died. She needed a lot of blood and blood products and I bought it at the blood banks in Santiago. Don't recall what I paid. I supplied no blood, just paid.

Initially she was in intensive care in Bournigal, but was moved to HOMS because no blood supply in Puerto Plata.

At that time HOMS didn't have its own blood bank. They may now because at the time I was there this was something they were planning.

Before the blood was used, it was tested by the lab in HOMS. All passed the test, except once. I returned that blood to the blood bank and was given a replacement.

I have the names and contact info for the blood banks I used if anyone needs the information
 
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Floridaborn

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Sep 25, 2010
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I have looked for pints in the past for different people -- at Ricardo Limbardo in POP, outside at the moto stand is a list of guys who will sell a pint usually for 2500RD and you pay for the testing too another 800RD. or at the firehouse you might find a giver.

Usually a pint anywhere is around the 2500RD mark unless you get a good samaritan to give for free.
 
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rubio_higuey

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If you have insurance, will it pay for the blood? What happens if you need blood (e.g. car accident) and no family or friends are around?
 
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judypdr

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I just spent two days in the Centro Medico Bounigal Hospital in Puerto Plata because I am extemely anemic and need a blood transfusion to boost my hemoglobin levels. Imagine my surprise when a motoconcho showed up in my hospital room requesting 4,000 pesos in compensation for finding a compatible donor for my "difficult" blood type of A negative. I had no idea there wasn't a blood bank! So after talking with the doctor and being assured the blood would be tested before use, I paid, of course. What was my choice? The next day when I needed a second pint, the price had risen to 4,500 pesos! Again, what choice did I have? I'm not sure this is the end of the story since the doctors haven't figured out why or where i'm losing blood...lots of tests but no definitive answer. If I have advance knowledge of needing blood again, I'll put out a call over DR1 and through friends. I don't really mind paying for the blood but it was unsettling to know that I had to spend an extra day in the hospital while a donor was found. And no, insurance didn't pay for the blood. It did pay for most of my hospital stay...total bill at checkout was not quite 8,000 pesos. The professionalism of the staff at Bournigal was very impressive and attentive and patient with my pitiful amount of Spanish!
 
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VJS

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The price also depends on the blood type. O negative can go up to 10-15k pesos for a pint.
 
AlterEgo

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Castle

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judypdr said:
I'm not sure this is the end of the story since the doctors haven't figured out why or where i'm losing blood...lots of tests but no definitive answer.
Click to expand...

The friend's mother I was referring to in my previous post was suffering from the exact same symptoms. She went through a lot of tests with no definite answer. Finally her samples were sent to an institution in the US, and the results came up with this:

Myelodysplastic syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

She was then treated and has been fine since then. You might want to look for a second opinion.
 
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dv8

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rubio_higuey said:
If you have insurance, will it pay for the blood? What happens if you need blood (e.g. car accident) and no family or friends are around?
Click to expand...

it depends on the insurance and the situation. accidents are considered catastrophic circumstances and are usually covered up until your insurance limit. judy says her blood was not covered but then it was not seen as an emergency. you may get it covered as a part of a surgery, thou. but this is blood supplied by the hospital, not bought from some greedy asshole.
 
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Castle

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Ok, I just asked my friend to elaborate. It turns out I was way off the real blood price.
He says the first time they were sent to the Red Cross blood bank. There, they were required to donate as much blood (of any kind) as they were requesting. The price was 3.5K per pint. However, Red Cross ran out of the rare type of blood they needed and for the second transfusion they had to go to a different blood bank. This time around they were not required to donate blood, but the price was much steeper, 7k a pint. So, suddenly 4k or even 4.5k per pint don't seem too bad. And yes, not covered by insurance.
 
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dv8

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i guess i am lucky to be 0+. the most common blood group. there will be enough family members to fit my needs, just in case.
 
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Criss Colon

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Don't forget the "Dr1 Blood Doner's Thread"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
People always "Step Up" when asked.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 
K

Ken

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judypdr said:
I just spent two days in the Centro Medico Bounigal Hospital in Puerto Plata because I am extemely anemic and need a blood transfusion to boost my hemoglobin levels. Imagine my surprise when a motoconcho showed up in my hospital room requesting 4,000 pesos in compensation for finding a compatible donor for my "difficult" blood type of A negative. I had no idea there wasn't a blood bank! So after talking with the doctor and being assured the blood would be tested before use, I paid, of course. What was my choice? The next day when I needed a second pint, the price had risen to 4,500 pesos! Again, what choice did I have? I'm not sure this is the end of the story since the doctors haven't figured out why or where i'm losing blood...lots of tests but no definitive answer. If I have advance knowledge of needing blood again, I'll put out a call over DR1 and through friends. I don't really mind paying for the blood but it was unsettling to know that I had to spend an extra day in the hospital while a donor was found. And no, insurance didn't pay for the blood. It did pay for most of my hospital stay...total bill at checkout was not quite 8,000 pesos. The professionalism of the staff at Bournigal was very impressive and attentive and patient with my pitiful amount of Spanish!
Click to expand...

I have a similar problem and have been diagnosed as having myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

I am being treated by a hematologist at HOMS in Santiago. I highly recommend that you see her, she is far better prepared to diagnose and treat you than the people at Bournigal. This is nothing against Bournigal, but she is a specialist in blood disorders and there is nobody like her at Bournigal.

The doctors name is Dra. Liliana Fernandez, her office is in the Cancer Center at HOMS, Tel 829-947-3303, email lilianafernandez19@hotmail.com She will be able to read the email if you are writing in English. You will also be able to converse with her in English when you have appointments.

I highly recommend her. One of the first things she will likely prescribe is a bone marrow biopsy, which you will get at HOMS. The material will be sent to a lab in the US for analysis, so that in a few days you will have a diagnosis and treatment can begin.

I would not delay consulting Dra. Fernandez because you condition may worsen without proper treatment. If you want to discuss this further, send me a PM.

Getting transfusions at Bournigal is not the answer. They may only be masking the symptoms as your condition, which might life threatening, worsens.
 
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