Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Richard Gordon has raised alarm over reports that some private hospitals may be overcharging blood processing fees, warning that blood services are being treated as profit centers in violation of the law.

Speaking during the 4th National Council on Blood Services meeting with the Department of Health (DoH), Gordon stressed that blood donation is a voluntary humanitarian act and must never be commodified.

“When we give patients blood, some hospitals conduct additional tests that accumulate charges, sometimes exceeding allowable fees and reaching amounts as high as P10,000,” Gordon said.

“These fees are unconscionable. We do not seek profit from blood; we follow all procedures set by the DoH,” he added.

The warning came amid long-standing concerns over the commercialization of blood procurement in the country, despite clear legal prohibitions.

Under Republic Act 7719, or the National Blood Services Act of 1994, blood donation is defined as a voluntary, non-profit activity.

The law expressly phased out commercial blood banks and mandates that blood service facilities operate on a nonprofit basis, allowing only the recovery of reasonable costs related to donor screening, testing, storage and quality assurance.

Same accusation

Gordon’s stance also came amid past controversy.

In 2021, then-President Rodrigo Duterte publicly accused Gordon of profiting from blood services, alleging the Philippine Red Cross charged patients, including the poor, despite relying on donated blood from soldiers and policemen.

Duterte ordered a government audit, with Gordon flatly denying the accusation.

In his blood council meeting with the DoH, Gordon emphasized that while blood processing entails real costs, those costs must never become a barrier to life-saving care.

PRC maintains that donated blood itself is free and that any processing fees it charges comply with DoH ceilings, with all collections reinvested into sustaining blood collection, testing and distribution nationwide.

Health officials warned that treating blood as a profit-driven service undermines voluntary donation, erodes public trust and runs counter to both the letter and spirit of RA 7719.

The law further authorizes the DoH to regulate and set maximum allowable service fees, underscoring that blood and blood components are not commodities to be sold for profit.

Beyond limits

In line with this mandate, the DoH has issued administrative orders setting fee ceilings for whole blood and blood components.

These ceilings are intended strictly for cost recovery, not revenue generation, and facilities are required to post their approved rates publicly.

Despite this framework, legislative inquiries and DoH records have noted that some private hospitals impose additional charges, such as repeat testing and bundled service fees, pushing total blood-related costs well beyond regulated limits.

Patients have reported being billed by private hospitals several thousand pesos for blood, raising questions about its commodification.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa echoed Gordon’s concern, stressing that the law applies to all facilities regardless of classification.

He proposed the establishment of a complaint center to allow patients and families to report suspected overpricing or irregularities in blood services.