Recently, netizens exposed that scalpers are selling blood donation certificates at Shanghai Hongkou No. 1 Hospital, with the scalpers themselves being family members of patients. Because the hospital is short of blood and cannot fulfill its promise of priority or free blood usage for donors and their relatives, the number of voluntary blood donors has declined, creating a vicious cycle.
In December 2025, the draft amendment to the Blood Donation Law of the People's Republic of China proposed extending the upper age limit for blood donation from 55 to 65, and shortening the donation interval from 6 months to 3 months. In recent years, some government agencies and units have forced blood donations under the guise of voluntariness.