A nationwide system is needed to increase blood donations, according to Ma Wenfang, a model country doctor from Henan province and a deputy to the National People's Congress.

The biggest incentive for voluntary blood donors at present is free access to donated blood whenever they need it, Ma said. But inconsistent policies in different places make it difficult for donors to exercise this right in places other than where they donated blood, he said.

NPC deputy Zhao Ming'en agreed that China should set up a unified system for blood donors in order to safeguard donors' right to free blood. Another NPC deputy, Zhu Wenchen, suggested that blood donation procedures be made more transparent.