The Purity of Our Blood Supply in the U.S.

Event Details

Martha Derthick and Paul Mintz, a professor and a doctor respectively, discuss the issue of a safe blood supply in America. As Derthick explains, the outbreak of HIV during the 1980s contaminated many blood banks in America. Tragically numerous hemophiliacs contracted HIV. This catastrophe, Derthick explains was prolonged by the American health care system?s advancement that made available a drug known as AHF, the reluctance of non-profit organizations to address the problem and the pressure on the FDA to rapidly authorize the use of a potentially life saving drug. Mitz focuses his discussion on the current quality of the blood bank in America. He offers several proposed improvements to the current system but warns of their various drawbacks. During the questioning session the two answer queries relating to self-donation of blood, the quality of blood in Germany and France, the role of human error in blood contamination, the reorganization of the Red Cross, Jehovah?s Witnesses refusal to accept ?spilt blood?, and the role of the FDA.