He made the remarks in the opening ceremony of 14th Annual AATM Conference and the 4th Iran International Congress of Transfusion Medicine in Tehran on Tuesday.
Iran doesn’t have blood exports since Iranian blood is exclusive to Iranians, he said, adding that people donate their blood to help their countrymen.
Iran may host foreign national patients, as was seen in cases of Yemeni, Iraqi and Afghan people, and Iranians may voluntarily donate their blood to them, however, Iran doesn’t export blood.
Hashemi went on to say that 97 percent of donated blood In Iran is converted into blood products and the country ranks among the highest performing states in this regard.
Reiterating that blood donation in Iran is done 100 percent voluntarily, he added that Iranian blood is among the healthiest and safest blood in the region and the world, which is being used to create plasma-derived medicines.
With the blood donation rate of 27 per 1,000 people, Iran attained the first place among 21 countries in Eastern Mediterranean region, said Iran’s Blood Transfusion Organization spokesman Bashir Hajibeigi in mid-February. While some 70 countries still collect part of their blood supply from replacement or paid donors, blood donation in Iran is 100 percent voluntary, he added.
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