Honorary blood donation is commonly associated with receiving compensation in the form of a package of chocolates for donated blood. Their quality arouses a lot of emotion, which is why the Ministry of Health received two petitions calling for a change in the regeneration meals for blood donors.
According to data from the Central Statistical Office, in 2023 there were over 6.4 million registered honorary blood donors in Poland. The Krwiodawcy.org portal states that there are over 540,000 of these deserving people who have badges and donate blood regularly. For each visit to a blood donation center, in accordance with the law, you receive so-called regenerative meals, the type of which is not strictly defined. In April this year, the Ministry of Health received petitions for specific changes in this matter.
Where did the 9 chocolates come from?
According to the regulation of the Minister of Health, an honorary blood donor – both whole and plasma – must receive a so-called regeneration meal worth 4,500 kcal . The tender is organized by the National Blood Center and the Ministry of Health and assumes that blood donors receive 9 chocolates (2 dark, 4 milk and 3 with additives), the total caloric value of which cannot be less than the aforementioned 4,500 kcal.
Some Regional Blood Donation and Blood Treatment Centers (RCKiK) also order regeneration packages in their own tenders, because chocolate suppliers are struggling and donors themselves are not happy with such compensation. In various RCKiKs, instead you can get peanut butter, nuts, cookies or juices, and the center in Krakow even provided mayonnaise.
Greater variety of meals for blood donors
In response to the changes introduced by blood donation centers, a petition to the Ministry of Health has appeared, the author of which draws attention to the issue of allergies and the risk to the cardiovascular system. Nuts and peanut butter are indeed a source of protein and fats, but they are also strong allergens, and their high consumption is not beneficial to health, which is why regeneration meals after donating blood should be more diverse.
The petitioner proposes that blood donors receive milk and dark chocolates, protein and cereal bars, dried fruit, yogurts (or other dairy products) and fruit/vegetable juices.
Coconut Water and Agave Syrup
The second petition submitted to the Ministry of Health indicates that blood donation is not only an energy expenditure, but also a loss of vitamins and microelements, including iron, B vitamins and electrolytes. The author of the document presented his own proposal for an original regeneration kit for blood donors, which will be hypoallergenic, universal and fully valuable:
- Coconut water,
- A jar of agave syrup,
- Three date bars,
- A box of fruit and herbal tea,
- A packet of pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Will blood donors gain new rights?
Honorary blood donors can count on a number of privileges for their attitude, in addition to chocolate. Everyone is entitled to time off work on the day of blood donation and the following day, while retaining the right to remuneration. Blood donors can also take advantage of tax relief and reimbursement of travel costs to the nearest blood collection point.
Meritorious Honorary Blood Donors, after donating a certain amount of blood, are entitled to discounts on medicines and public transport tickets, and to use healthcare services out of turn. In November last year, the idea of the Polska 2050-Trzecia Droga club also appeared, so that donors would be entitled to a pension supplement after donating 45 (women) or 60 liters (men) of blood, but it did not meet with the approval of the government.
