JOINT CIRCULAR No. 12/2004/TTLT-BTC-BYT Circular guiding the price level and contents of expenses for a unit of blood meeting the standard

JOINT CIRCULAR

JOINT CIRCULAR NO. 12/2004/TTLT-BTC-BYT OF THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH ON FEBRUARY 25, 2004 GUIDING THE PRICE LEVEL AND CONTENT OF EXPENSES FOR A UNIT OF QUALITY BLOOD

Pursuant to Decision No. 43/2000/QĐ-TTg dated April 7, 2000 of the Prime Minister on blood donation campaigns and encouraging voluntary blood donation;
Pursuant to Decision No. 198/2001/QĐ-TTg dated December 28, 2001 of the Government on approving the Blood Safety Program;
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health jointly issue guidelines on the price level and content of expenses for a unit of quality blood as follows:

This technical regulation sets out technical requirements, testing methods, sampling procedures; management requirements; responsibilities of organizations and individuals producing, trading, and importing cigarettes.

Article 1. The subject of this Joint Circular is public health facilities with the function of collecting, screening, and storing blood; the Blood Donation Campaign Committee; and blood donors.

Article 2. A unit of quality blood as defined herein has a volume of 250 ml of whole blood collected and stored in a plastic bag containing anticoagulant CPD-A1 after undergoing all necessary screening tests to ensure safe blood transfusion as prescribed.

II. SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

Article 1. The price for a unit of quality blood is specified as follows:

- 260,000 VND for a standard unit of blood with a volume of 250 ml.

- 320,000 VND for a volume of 350 ml of blood (equivalent to 1.4 units of standard blood).

- 380,000 VND for a volume of 450 ml of blood (equivalent to 1.8 units of standard blood).

The above prices serve as the basis for payment to patients and healthcare facilities that require blood usage.

These prices do not apply to blood products (red cells, white cells, platelet concentrates) and other blood derivatives.

Article 2. Content and amount of expenses for collecting and screening a unit of quality blood:

Clause 2.1. Direct compensation for professional blood donors:

- 140,000 VND for a unit of blood with a volume of 250 ml.

- 200,000 VND for a volume of 350 ml of blood.

- 260,000 VND for a volume of 450 ml of blood.

Clause 2.2. Gift expenses in the form of goods to encourage and support the health of voluntary blood donors: The maximum expense is 50,000 VND per person.

Based on actual conditions, healthcare facilities collecting, screening, and storing blood shall cooperate with the Blood Donation Campaign Committee to determine the gift items.

Clause 2.3. Travel expense support for voluntary blood donors: The expense is 20,000 VND per person.

Healthcare facilities collecting, screening, and storing blood have the responsibility to directly pay this expense to voluntary blood donors to facilitate their travel to blood donation sites.

Clause 2.4. Light meal expenses at the collection site for blood donors: The expense is 10,000 VND per person.

Healthcare facilities conducting blood collections should organize meals properly and openly so that donors can eat before and after donating blood.

Clause 2.5. Expenses for blood collection equipment, tools, plastic bags, and blood transfer tubes.

Clause 2.6. Expenses for clinical examinations, routine tests, and necessary infectious disease screening tests to ensure a unit of quality blood as prescribed.

Specifically, the cost of HIV testing, which is funded by the state through the HIV/AIDS Prevention Project, is not included in these expenses.

Clause 2.7. Compensation for the costs incurred from discarding units of blood that do not meet standards (blood infected with transfusion-transmitted diseases or excess anticoagulant due to insufficient volume).

Clause 2.8. Support expenses for organizing counseling services for voluntary blood donors at public health facilities assigned the task of collecting and screening blood.

Clause 2.9. Expenses for printing Blood Donation Certificates (the Ministry of Health regulates the issuance, use, and management of Blood Donation Certificates).

Clause 2.10. Expenses for publicity, mobilization, organization of voluntary blood donation days, preliminary and final reviews of the mobilization campaign, with a maximum of 30,000 VND per unit of collected blood from voluntary donors (combined for volumes of 250 ml, 350 ml, and 450 ml). This fund is transferred to the Blood Donation Campaign Committee of provinces and centrally-administered cities through contracts of responsibility between healthcare facilities collecting and screening blood and the Blood Donation Campaign Committee for management, use, and settlement according to current regulations.

Article 3. The difference between the price of a unit of quality blood (as stipulated in Clause 1) and the actual expenses for collecting and screening a unit of quality blood (as stipulated in Clause 2) above shall be retained by healthcare facilities collecting and using blood for management and use in accordance with the law.

Article 4. Voluntary blood donors who need blood transfusions at public health facilities are exempt from paying for the blood up to the quantity they donated, as recorded on their Blood Donation Certificate.

Article 5. Management:

Clause 5.1. The Ministry of Health and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall direct the Blood Donation Campaign Committee to coordinate with healthcare facilities collecting and screening blood to effectively implement voluntary blood donation campaigns in their areas in accordance with Decision No. 43/2000/QĐ-TTg dated April 7, 2000 of the Prime Minister on blood donation campaigns and encouraging voluntary blood donation.

Clause 5.2. Healthcare facilities collecting, screening, and storing blood must maintain records to monitor blood collection and screening activities and manage and use funds for blood collection, screening, and storage in accordance with the law.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

This Joint Circular takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette and replaces Circular No. 22/2001/TT-BYT dated November 15, 2001, and Circular No. 01/2003/TT-BYT dated March 12, 2003 of the Ministry of Health regarding the cost of a unit of quality blood.

Any issues encountered during implementation should be promptly reported to the relevant ministries for timely revision and supplementation.