Blood bank standards act

[Maroza]

The nations of the World Assembled: Category: Social Justic Strength: Significant

AWARE that many countries have blood transfusion programs;

AWARE that there are dangers involving blood transfusions such as HIV, Hepatitis, and Syphilis, and many types of bacterial illnesses;

WORRIED that there are no international standards for blood transfusions;

HEREBY RESOLVES to set some standards:

MANDATES THAT
-Public blood banks are created in member nations
-Blood shall only be drawn to be transfused at a later date
-Blood should be stored for an amount of time, as decided by individual nations after consultation with scientists, and tested to a degree of reasonable safety for the recipient of the transfusion
-Blood found to be contaminated shall be thrown out

REQUIRES THAT
-All objects and places related to the blood bank and blood transfusions shall be kept sterile
-Blood shall not mix in storage at any time

RECOMMENDS THAT
-the blood type of the donor meets the blood type of the recipient

BELIEVING that this Act would bolster the standard of blood transfusions in member nations,

Can anyone give me there opinions and help me with this draft?

[Grays Harbor]

category and strength?

[Monikian WA Mission]

First, determine the category. It seems to me to be "Social Justice" as the attempt is to increase public safety and is related to health.

Second, determine the strength of the proposal. In the opinion of the Monikian Bureau of Legal Interpretation, we would consider this mild.

-That blood drawn, to be transfused at a later date, be stored for two weeks or more to allow diseases that may be in the blood to surface,

We are going to assume that by 2 weeks you mean 14 Terran Days. Two Monikian weeks would be equivalent to 27 Terran Days. We would suggest changing the language to remove the time period and leave it up to the nations to determine the amount of time necessary to allow communicable diseases to surface.

-That after two weeks the blood is tested for any diseases

See Previous statement

-That if bacteria or diseases that will cause death, illness or long term health problems are found, the blood should be thrown out;

So contaminated blood that didn't have bacteria or disease that will or may cause death illness or long term health problems are not found because the technology level of the member nation is say...equivalent to pre-industrial times, the contaminated blood is okay then?

-The site where the withdrawal is to take place shall be sterilized,

Do you mean the location on the donor's body? The building it takes place in? What? this needs to be specific as laws do what they say they do.

-The needle used to extract the blood shall be sterile and unused,

You do realize that not every species would use a intravenous needle to draw blood right? Humans would...Monikians would...but other species might not. Also, in poorer nations being forced to use only unused needles might be cost prohibitive.

The blood taken from one donor shall not be mixed together with another donor's blood before the blood is tested and found clean,

Blood from several donors should never be mixed. The reason being is many species have more than one type of marker protein on their blood cells. Humans have 8 (A, B, AB, O) if one includes the RH factor. Monikians have 14 blood types including RH factors (A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, O). Mixing bloods of different types causes the bloods to coagulate rendering it useless for medical purposes.

I'd suggest outright prohibiting the mixing of donated blood without reguard to whether it has been found to be clean. Multi-marker species would do that anyway, and Uni-Marker species might only find it slightly inconvenient.

HEREBY OUTLAWS the donation of blood if the donor is knowingly carrying blood-borne or blood-transferable diseases.

Change Outlaws to PROHIBITS. It sounds better.


All that said, I'll probably not support it anyway, because I don't think this is the WA's business.

[Maroza]

It seems to me to be "Social Justice" as the attempt is to increase public safety and is related to health.

Ok

We would suggest changing the language to remove the time period and leave it up to the nations to determine the amount of time necessary to allow communicable diseases to surface.

Will do

So contaminated blood that didn't have bacteria or disease that will or may cause death illness or long term health problems are not found because the technology level of the member nation is say...equivalent to pre-industrial times, the contaminated blood is okay then?

How would they even know how to do it safely or at all if they are pre-Industry? Pre-industry in RL very few successful attempts at blood transfusions were not fatal. Almost all people died regardless. It's really down the individual nation to set standards for telling if the blood is clean.

Do you mean the location on the donor's body? The building it takes place in? What? this needs to be specific as laws do what they say they do.

I'll clarify

You do realize that not every species would use a intravenous needle to draw blood right? Humans would...Monikians would...but other species might not. Also, in poorer nations being forced to use only unused needles might be cost prohibitive.

So device?

I'd suggest outright prohibiting the mixing of donated blood without reguard to whether it has been found to be clean. Multi-marker species would do that anyway, and Uni-Marker species might only find it slightly inconvenient.

I worded it that way so they couldn't say they could not give a blood donor blood because he is a blood donor and his blood could not be mixed with anyone's by that interpretation. I will change it.

Change Outlaws to PROHIBITS. It sounds better.

Will do

All that said, I'll probably not support it anyway, because I don't think this is the WA's business.

Thanks for helping me anyways.

[Monikian WA Mission]

How would they even know how to do it safely or at all if they are pre-Industry? Pre-industry in RL very few successful attempts at blood transfusions were not fatal. Almost all people died regardless. It's really down the individual nation to set standards for telling if the blood is clean.

Which is precisely why I don't think that this is any of the WA's business.

So device?

Device or instrument would work fine. Again I'd suggest including language that would a allow for used but sterilized devices to be used as poorer countries might find using only new devices cost prohibitive.

I worded it that way so they couldn't say they could not give a blood donor blood because he is a blood donor and his blood could not be mixed with anyone's by that interpretation.

What?

I'd assume that "they" would be the medical personnel in a member nation. In any case I would think that a nation's medical personnel would be hard pressed to NOT give blood to a patient who needed it regardless of whether or not the patient is a donor or not. The risk of contamination of the national blood supply comes from contaminated donors, not contaminated recipients.

[Maroza]

Which is precisely why I don't think that this is any of the WA's business.

This resolution will give them wiggle room. If they don't have blood transfusions then they are unaffected. If they do they can still use there own methods for telling if the blood is clean or not.

Device or instrument would work fine. Again I'd suggest including language that would a allow for used but sterilized devices to be used as poorer countries might find using only new devices cost prohibitive.

Or some device that could be used again and again.

I'd assume that "they" would be the medical personnel in a member nation. In any case I would think that a nation's medical personnel would be hard pressed to NOT give blood to a patient who needed it regardless of whether or not the patient is a donor or not. The risk of contamination of the national blood supply comes from contaminated donors, not contaminated recipients.

I know but people like to do things to torment their people and look for any way to defy bills they don't like just because they don't like the bill.

[Bears Armed]

Why is this any of the WA's business, rather than a matter to be handled nationally, in the first place?

[Mahaj WA Seat]

AWARE that many countries have blood transfusion programs;

Yep...

ALSO AWARE that there are dangers involving blood transfusions;

CONCERNED that many diseases, including but not limited to HIV, Hepatitis, and Syphilis, and many types of bacteria can be transferred and spread through a blood transfusion;

I'd combine these. So something like

AWARE that there are many dangers involving blood transfusions, including HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis, and many other types of bacterial illnesses,

FURTHER CONCERNED that there are no international safe-guards in place to help prevent tainted blood from being given to patients in need of a blood transfusion;

WORRIED that there are no international standards for blood transfusions;

Very duplicative, in my opinion. Go with the second one.

MANDATES:
-That blood drawn, to be transfused at a later date, be stored for time ,decided by the individual nation, to allow diseases that may be in the blood to surface,
-That after that time the blood is tested for any diseases,
-That if bacteria or diseases that will cause death, illness or long term health problems are found, the blood should be thrown out;

Point 1 is confusing. I understand what you're saying, I think you should word it better. Actually, let me rewrite this entire section.

-Blood shall only be drawn to be transfused at a later date
-Blood should be stored for an amount of time, as decided by individual nations after consultation with scientists, and tested to a degree of reasonable safety for the recipient of the transfusion
-Blood found to be contaminated shall be thrown out

REQUIRES the following to prevent clean blood from becoming contaminated:
-The site of the body where the withdrawal is to take place shall be sterilized,
-The device used to extract the blood shall be sterile,
-The blood taken from one donor shall not be mixed together with another donor's blood during storage
-The blood shall be screened to match the new host's blood type to prevent allergic reactions to the new blood;

With a minor rewrite
-All objects and places related to the blood bank and blood transfusions shall be kept sterile
-Blood shall not mix in storage at any time
-It is recommended that the blood type of the donor meets the blood type of the recipient

PROHIBITS the donation of blood if the donor is knowingly carrying blood-borne or blood-transferable diseases.

I don't like this clause or find it needed. Because the blood can't be used if contaminated, which would include these diseases. So not needed.



For reference, with my suggestions, your new proposal would look like this:

AWARE that many countries have public blood transfusion programs;

AWARE that there are many dangers involving blood transfusions, including HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis, and many other types of bacterial illnesses,

WORRIED that there are no international standards for blood transfusions;

HEREBY RESOLVES to set some standards:

MANDATES THAT
-Blood shall only be drawn to be transfused at a later date
-Blood should be stored for an amount of time, as decided by individual nations after consultation with scientists, and tested to a degree of reasonable safety for the recipient of the transfusion
-Blood found to be contaminated shall be thrown out

REQUIRES THAT
-All objects and places related to the blood bank and blood transfusions shall be kept sterile
-Blood shall not mix in storage at any time

RECOMMENDS THAT
-the blood type of the donor meets the blood type of the recipient

BELIEVING that this Act would bolster the standard of blood transfusions in member nations,

CLARIFIES that nations without public blood transfusion programs are not affected by this.

With a little bit of adding clauses and changing words around.

[Mahaj WA Seat]

Why is this any of the WA's business, rather than a matter to be handled nationally, in the first place?

Blood borne diseases could spread all over the world...

[Flibbleites]

Why is this any of the WA's business, rather than a matter to be handled nationally, in the first place?

Blood borne diseases could spread all over the world...

Are you saying that the blood banks in your nation accept and use blood from other nation's blood banks without testing it to make sure it's safe first?

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

[Monikian WA Mission]

Why is this any of the WA's business, rather than a matter to be handled nationally, in the first place?

Blood borne diseases could spread all over the world...

While that may be true, my government has a hard time believing that a one-size fits all approach can be taken on this matter. First we have in the WA nations at all kinds of technology levels. Second we have all different types of species in the WA too.

I'll give an example. HIV is devastating to humans, yet Monikians have indeed been exposed to this virus several times and never contracted it from humans who received medical care from us. Indeed our first contact with humans came from a sleeper craft where many of the humans on board were put into cryogenic stasis to await a cure for this particular disease. We were able to cure them but unable to contract the disease itself because the cells it targets do not exist in our biology. Likewise we have never heard of any human contracting *Tak-zhunlak Syndrome which is a communicable form of blood cancer.

Perhaps a better method than this draft would be a resolution that requires blood banks in member nations to test for communicable diseases.

[Mahaj WA Seat]

Blood borne diseases could spread all over the world...

Are you saying that the blood banks in your nation accept and use blood from other nation's blood banks without testing it to make sure it's safe first?

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

No, I'm not saying that at all.

[Maroza]

Blood borne diseases could spread all over the world...

While that may be true, my government has a hard time believing that a one-size fits all approach can be taken on this matter. First we have in the WA nations at all kinds of technology levels. Second we have all different types of species in the WA too.

I'll give an example. HIV is devastating to humans, yet Monikians have indeed been exposed to this virus several times and never contracted it from humans who received medical care from us. Indeed our first contact with humans came from a sleeper craft where many of the humans on board were put into cryogenic stasis to await a cure for this particular disease. We were able to cure them but unable to contract the disease itself because the cells it targets do not exist in our biology. Likewise we have never heard of any human contracting *Tak-zhunlak Syndrome which is a communicable form of blood cancer.

Perhaps a better method than this draft would be a resolution that requires blood banks in member nations to test for communicable diseases.

So your saying I would probably get more support with blood banks testing for communicable diseases?

[Mallorea and Riva]

Blood borne diseases could spread all over the world...

Are you saying that the blood banks in your nation accept and use blood from other nation's blood banks without testing it to make sure it's safe first?

Bob Flibble
WA Representative

Zakath shifts uneasily in his seat

Mallorea and Riva may or may not have a policy of selling excess... organic medical life enhancers... to other nations. While we do not import such goods it makes logical sense from a medical standpoint to enforce a finished draft of this resolution, assuming it does not stray too far off course.

[Maroza]

I quite like Mahaj's proposal version. This is my first draft so I'm trying to get as much feedback and improvement suggestions as possible.

[Mahaj WA Seat]

I quite like Mahaj's proposal version. This is my first draft so I'm trying to get as much feedback and improvement suggestions as possible.

Your welcome to use it.

[Monikian WA Mission]

While that may be true, my government has a hard time believing that a one-size fits all approach can be taken on this matter. First we have in the WA nations at all kinds of technology levels. Second we have all different types of species in the WA too.

I'll give an example. HIV is devastating to humans, yet Monikians have indeed been exposed to this virus several times and never contracted it from humans who received medical care from us. Indeed our first contact with humans came from a sleeper craft where many of the humans on board were put into cryogenic stasis to await a cure for this particular disease. We were able to cure them but unable to contract the disease itself because the cells it targets do not exist in our biology. Likewise we have never heard of any human contracting *Tak-zhunlak Syndrome which is a communicable form of blood cancer.

Perhaps a better method than this draft would be a resolution that requires blood banks in member nations to test for communicable diseases.

So your saying I would probably get more support with blood banks testing for communicable diseases?

Not quite. I think it might be easier to regulate blood banks where nations have blood banks than to mandate procedures as to blood transfusions. For example if the blood banks have to be certified as practicing safe and hygienic procedures this would only effect nations that have blood banks. Nations which don't have blood banks either due to religious concern, technology level or biology of their citizens wouldn't have to be concerned with the resolution.

[Bears Armed]

So your saying I would probably get more support with blood banks testing for communicable diseases?

You'd probably get more support if you limited this to blood that's being transferred internationally...
OOC: ... although that might then be considered a rare enough event for even 'Mild' to be too high a strength.

[Knootoss]

Please explain the added value of this proposal, over just allowing member nations to regulate this. Are member governments too stupid to think of these rules? This resolution lacks an international component, and there is no benefit at all in letting the WA handle it.


Ambassador Aram Koopman
World Assembly representative for the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss

[East Liebetopia]

Where would the money come from for such a program?

[Maroza]

The money would come from the people paying to run the program already in place.

As for why this should be implemented. Many 3rd world countries or others with very weak governments would have very little regulation or substandard practices that could lead to loss of life in that country or a lot of suffering. Countries could be ravaged by blood born diseases or bacterial infected blood leading to patents dying from septic shock after nearly bleeding to death. I'm leaving wiggle room so people who are already are taking necessary safety precautions don't have to make any or many changes. As for those that aren't, thats why we made this, to help keep people from dying from mistakes or lack of proper treatment when given a transfusion.

[Mahaj WA Seat]

Where would the money come from for such a program?

WAGAF.

[Mousebumples]

Where would the money come from for such a program?

WAGAF.

WAGAF? What does the second A stand for?

(I believe you mean the WAGF or WA General Fund ... )

[Mahaj WA Seat]

WAGAF.

WAGAF? What does the second A stand for?

(I believe you mean the WAGF or WA General Fund ... )

I tend to call it World Assembly General Assembly Fund.

But i'm just stupid.

get used to it.

and this has been submitted. Please approve!

[Nullarni]

You'd probably get more support if you limited this to blood that's being transferred internationally...
OOC: ... although that might then be considered a rare enough event for even 'Mild' to be too high a strength.

I agree, except for the rarity part. Natural disasters sometime make it a necessity. Especially if it is a small nation, or the disaster is affects a large portion of the nation.