Six people in south China's Guangdong province have been jailed
for operating an illegal blood donation ring, the Nanfang
Daily reports.
The gang, which operated in Jieyang City, had been profiting
from desperate migrant workers, mainly from Jiangxi and Anhui,
selling blood up to ten times each a month by issuing them with
fake identity cards. A law introduced in 1998 forbids donors from
giving blood more than once every six months.
The gang deducted 80 yuan from each payment a migrant worker
received, earning between 4,000 and 30,000 yuan a month in
commission. The donors were also provided with medication that
enabled them to sell blood more frequently.
Five people were given prison terms ranging from six months to
18 months plus fines of up 10,000 yuan. One person was jailed for
eight months and received a 5,000 yuan fine for forging identity
cards.
The scandal was exposed by a local newspaper last month.
The Guangdong health department has vowed to protect people's
health and the safety of blood stocks, ordering the examination of
all blood donations at collection points, hospitals and clinics and
strengthened supervision of blood collection.
(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2007)