

Run 30 Lab Tests on Only One Drop of Blood - freshfey
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2014/02/elizabeth-holmes-theranos/?cid=18964974

======
Jugurtha
I checked in my dad for surgery a couple weeks ago (he didn't have surgery and
don't ask why, that's another story).

Anyway, the surgeon asked for a blood type card which we didn't have there. I
told him to get his blood type there (that should be easy, shouldn't it, it's
a hospital after all).

Anyway, the surgeon told the main nurse to get the blood typing thing going.
And I assumed it would be a drop on a plate, antigen blood type on that plate,
etc.

Anyway, I went handle something on the floor and came back, and the nurse
handed me a tube with sort of a lot of blood.. And told me to take it to a,
wait for it, private lab to get the blood type.

Before she even continued, I knew what was going on. They had some sort of
deal with a private lab facing the hospital where they would send patients and
probably get a cut. Leads, if you will.

She gave me a prescription, with a stamp on it, and told me to give it to
them.

Now, you gotta understand.. I live in Algiers, Algeria. Here, school,
university, hospitals and all are free. We're not accustomed paying money for
this.

So I asked her "Why's there so much blood in this ? It shouldn't take more
than a drop"..

She said no, and the test on that "lab" is better..

I said "Better how ? Do they do analysis of the blood or something, or is it
just for typing ?".

She said "Typing".

I said "So it's just typing, how can it be "better" ?"

She didn't know what to say and complained to the surgeon that I was a hard
case.

The surgeon told me that it's his job, and that the "drop blood typing" is a
thing of the past, that it's not accurate..

To which I replied "You should explain that to the Government of the Algerian
Republic. They don't mind accepting a drop blood typing for Passport and
Driver's license.. And you wouldn't have minded if I brought a drop blood type
card from a public clinic. They hand these cards on mobile blood donation
trucks, which you would've accepted. You don't make any sense".

He said that that's an old technique done for Firemen and started talking in a
condescending way, that it's his job, that a drop isn't enough and that I
shouldn't bother with "these things" that are too complicated for me.

And I said "There are about 5 million red blood cells in a drop of blood.
You're shy of a couple millions to an Auschwitz there.. How many more do you
need ? You can get DNA from the 7,000 or so white blood cells in a drop of
blood and you're telling me you can't get the darn blood type ?"

He went silent and didn't know what to say.

I can understand they got a scheme for getting paid. I can understand that the
hospital doesn't have "blood typing hardware ?".. But I won't accept passing
it for black magic and telling me I need something more fancy.

It's not even the money (after all, the blood typing at that private lab was
about 4 dollars) but it's just for the principle. Don't assume people are
dumb.

