Journalist Ashraf Helmy called on Wednesday evening, June 19, for the Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, to add citizens’ blood type information to Medicare cards, Australian passports, and driver’s licenses, and to register this information with Australian government agencies and their employers.
This is particularly important as most Australians do not know their blood type, which is crucial in emergencies such as blood donation or the need for a blood transfusion.
This measure aims to save time and lives in case of emergencies. Helmy urged Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler to coordinate with state health ministers to take the necessary steps to register each citizen’s blood type on their health insurance card.
He also called on Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Penny Wong to take similar steps and register citizens’ blood types on their passports, emphasizing the importance of saving lives when they are abroad and require a blood transfusion.