Almost 90% of blood donors in Baja California's General Hospital are coerced into the practice, according to a report by Dr. Yolanda Ibarra, the hospital's blood bank chief.

Doctor Ibarra specified that 'forced donor' is the term used for those who attend with the specific goal of helping family, friends or an acquaintance if they really need it.

She added that, out of 2051 donations made during the first quarter of 2016, only 209 were voluntary.

"Even so, 10% is actually really high. It seems low, but it's quite high compared to the rest of the country", said Ibarra, mentioning that the national median for altruistic blood donations is 3%.

Ibarra urged Tijuana's population to help those in need even if they're not closely related, especially children, who have been for the past few months the patients that have required the most blood packs.

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