I’ve decided yesterday that I will not have any part of my body donated in Taiwan … I’m fully for donation of organs but not here … if they don’t want my blood they get nothing, simple, end of story.
Contrary to Newspaper stories Taiwan does not want Europeans to donate blood, especially Britons, you know the people from the country where CJD (Mad Cow) originated … thanks to them I can not donate my blood.
They don’t want blood from anyone that lived for more than 5 years in Europe … I live in Taiwan for 15 years and am still healthy, not MAD … and underwent several health checks that cleared me for permanent residency … so, people on the top, wake up and scrap the rule.
They used to quote a rule of 3 years. Now it’s 5 years?
I’d still donate my body to a medical university, and hopefully someone will also benefit from assorted spareparts -skin, corneas. However, as you said, the question is whether they would stil want you or change their minds.
Taiwan’s rules may be pretty weird, but they’re entitled to do what they think necessary to guarantee recipient safety. If you were on the receiving end, you’d probably like to be 110% sure that NO chances had been taken with the organ/blood you were getting, even if that meant a lot of potential donors were being rejected for (apparently) no good reason.
Rats [or should I say cows?] I wanted to give blood. I believe a test is being developed for CJD but I doubt we can expect to see this in Taiwan too soon. Shame.
[quote=“Icon”]They used to quote a rule of 3 years. Now it’s 5 years?
I’d still donate my body to a medical university, and hopefully someone will also benefit from assorted spareparts -skin, corneas. However, as you said, the question is whether they would stil want you or change their minds.[/quote]
Doesn’t matter, which European didn’t live for 5 years in Europe … they softened the rule from 3 to 5 years because they’d run out of Taiwanese donors …
That’s the thing, just basing teh rule on your passport is not enough, they have to be even more strict. For instance, they came to our ofice to take donations. Most of our colleagues have been appoointed in foreign countries as part of their dutie sfor long periods. Hence, the risk is higher for getting bugs than a foreigner that has been here 5 years but the most exotic activity has been having a papaya milk at Jinmei Night market. If you assure me there is the same rule as well for Taiwanese, then I have nothing else to say. Otherwise, goose gander and all that jazz.
I’ve donated blood several years ago and with no problem… But that was way before there was even such a thing as SARS.
But, isn’t there some sort of ratio or credit or cost deferment give for people who donated blood when if, heaven forbid, you need some emergency blood?
They gave me some kind of card. I wanted to give over the years but my veins have a bad reaction and I get a black and blue arm for a week. They it’s not dangerous… huh…
So what of it… Are they going to discriminate against those who don’t or can’t give blood?
You can donate blood as long as you didn’t live/resided in Europe for a longer time … if you come from Oogoo Doogoo Land, no problem. Nothing to do with Sars … all about CJD (Mad Cow) …
I’ve donated blood many times in Taiwan during the 90’s, until they found a mad cow on a farm … suddenly I was persona non grata at the donation buses.
