Beijing blood donations drop

Red Cross seeks more clout to set up collection points in city

Blood donations in Beijing have been falling slightly for three consecutive years, and legislation is needed to ensure supplies, said Ge Hongwei, director of the testing department of the Beijing Red Cross Blood Center.

Ge did not specify the amount of blood donated, or by how much it had dropped in the past three years. But she emphasized that the city used more blood than any other city in the country in 2009, and the amount of blood used has been increasing by about 15 percent annually, widening the gap between supply and demand.