When Lu Bing donated 400 millilitres of blood at a university in Hebei Province, she was told she and her immediate family would not have to pay for blood if the need arose in the future.

But when Lu's mother needed surgery last month in Shenyang, hospital staff said she had to pay a "blood fee."

Lu is not alone in feeling cheated by the Shenyang Blood Donation Administration.

According to the administration, donors can enjoy the preferential blood policy only if the donations are made in the city itself.

"The donated blood is for the local hospital, so the local government should be responsible for compensation and related preferential policies, not other cities," said Feng Jianlin, a doctor based at the Shenyang Municipal Blood Centre.

Xu Yan, a female employee at a media company, has given blood three times in the past three years.

"I live in Shenyang and work here, but I may move to another city in the future. This regulation may prove to be a problem if I need help," she said.

According to the blood administration, patients are entitled to five times the volume they have donated for five years if they have given more than 200 millilitres.

If one donates more than 800 millilitres, unlimited blood is available, without payment, for life. The close relatives of these donors also enjoy preferential treatment.

Blood donations have almost been meeting demand in Shenyang in recent years.

But to get closer to the necessary volume, the donor card restriction was introduced.

Zhang Juan, a senior official from the Shenyang Blood Donation Office, said fees vary according to the local rules in each city.

"Collection, storage and transportation of blood all cost money. It is unreasonable to ask Shenyang to pay all of the costs while other cities use the blood," said Feng.

Hospitals collect money not for themselves but for the local government, which invests in blood centre construction, the doctor added.

"Each city has its own business to cover, so the card cannot be used all around the nation," said Feng.

But a man in his 30s from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region expressed his concern.

"I work here in Shenyang at present. But my parents live in our hometown of Chifeng. If my donation card could be used there, this would save us more time and money," he said.

Feng agreed this would be more efficient and convenient, but added establishing a national blood donors' network would be very costly.

The blood donation law was published in 1998 to encourage donors and increase stocks. Some argue a unified, nationwide blood donation law would improve efficiency.

(China Daily November 4, 2005)