Military Blood Supply System Questioned
November 9, 2001
Pentagon and Defense Department officials have acknowledged that the military's blood tracking program, the Defense Blood Standard System, is being restructured due to problems with the program's configuration. The system, which cost $70 million to operate throughout the 1990's, was designed in 1991 to keep track of donated blood.
Officials associated with the project report that the system has several flaws that may put soldiers at risk during wartime when blood transfusions are frequent. The system, now operated by IBM, reportedly cannot handle the functions it was originally designed for, including the tracking of donors and examining blood for germs. These errors, if not mended, could lead to soldiers receiving transfusions of tainted blood. Pentagon officials claim they are working on the problems but admit that the most serious issues will not be resolved until 2003.
A recent report stated, "The blood processing laboratories indicated that although they could accommodate the extra work required during peacetime, in the event of a wartime situation&they would not be able to adequately meet their mission."
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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