Blood Type Requirement
On Costa Rican Drivers License Is Of No Use
In May 2008 it became mandatory that the
persons blood type be included on the
drivers license. However, due to protocol
and security, doctors do not base their
decision on that information when it comes
to a blood transfusion.
Furthermore, the Colegio de Médicos (College
of Physicians) recommends removing the
requirement all together.
On may 10, 2008, any person obtaining a
drivers license for the first time or
renewing their license is required to
provide their blood type test, which is
prominently printed on the drivers license,
adding between ¢3.500 and ¢8.000 colones to
the cost of obtaining or renewing a drivers
license.
According to the Ministerio de Obras
Públicas y Transportes (MOPT), a total
of 107.388 drivers who obtained their
drivers license for the first time and
322.741 who renewed their license were
required to provide their blood type.
Roulán Jiménez, president of the Colegio de
Médicos, is clear that the blood type on the
drivers license has no benefit, other than
to generate fees for doctors providing exams
and an added expense for drivers.
"In the event a person is taken to a
hospital, absolutely no one will give you a
drop of bolod without doing a blood test
first", Dr. Jiménez told the La Nación in an
interview.
"If a patient needs 100 transfusions of
blood, they will be submitted to 100 blood
tests", the doctor affirmed.
The requirement of the blood type is based
on article 77 of the Ley de Tránsito passed
in 1993, but it wasn't until 2008 that was
made mandatory.
Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT)
officials say they are unaware of the
ineffectiveness of the requirements, but
nonetheless are obligated to uphold the law.
Hugo Jiménez, director of Educación Vial for
the MOPT, said "useful or not we have to
respect a mandate by the Constitutional
Court".
Legislators tothe reforms of the Ley de
Tránsito that was approved in November 2008
and whose full effect will be on March 1
this year, just changed the number of the
article mandating the blood type test.
However, that could change, as legislators
are being asked to review a series of
changes to the reforms before they go into
effect.
In the meantime, the blood test requirement
stands. |
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