The gift of gay blood

A Canadian in Cambodia discovers progressive blood-donation policies

Today I saved a boy’s life. At least, that’s what I was told after I left the blood bank’s transfusion room. I laughed, thinking it was a nice metaphorical pat on the back after watching 350 millilitres of blood slowly drain from my body.

But then I found out that I literally had saved a young boy’s life – simply because I decided to donate in the right place at the right time.

One of my colleagues had asked me to join her at a local blood bank, run by an Australian charity that channels blood specifically to children with thalassemia, a disorder that creates fatal iron levels in the blood and causes infection, bone deformation, enlargement of the spleen, anemia and heart problems.

Raymond Hyma
Daily Extra
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During the Canada Post strike announced September 25, 2025, the following measures will be undertaken to minimize service disruption to BC-CfE clients and providers.

  • The BC-CfE Laboratory has transitioned to private courier for delivery of outgoing reports and documents. Results required urgently can be faxed upon request. (Lab Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8775; FAX 604-806-9463)
  • The BC-CfE Drug Treatment Program (DTP) will fax outgoing forms and documents to the provider’s office. (DTP Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8515; FAX 604-806-9044)
  • St. Paul’s Hospital Ambulatory Pharmacy has transitioned to private courier for delivery of medications. We recommend requesting medication at least 2 weeks in advance in case of delivery delays, particularly to rural/remote parts of BC. (Contact Information: Phone 1-800-547-3622; FAX 604-806-8675)

During the Canada Post strike, we recommend that documents be faxed or couriered to our sites, versus utilization of regular mail service

The BC-CfE Laboratory is streamlining reporting processes for certain tests in order to simplify distribution and record-keeping, and to ensure completeness of results. Beginning September 2, 2025, results for the ‘Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Protease and Reverse Transcriptase’ (Protease-RT) and ‘HIV-1 Integrase Resistance Genotype’ tests will be combined into a single ‘HIV-1 Resistance Genotype Report’.
For more details and example reports, please click on the button below

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