Bulgaria: Blood Plasma Costs BGN 5,000 on Black Market

Against the background of growing fears in people - the Nova TV team set out to track down a scheme for selling blood plasma on the black market. Pandemic has changed the illegal market and blood brokers are already selling plasma, said to be an effective remedy for Covid-19. Its price may reach BGN 5,000.

Our team meets blood brokers in the yard of one of the major Sofia hospitals. They start talking to us on their own. We say we want to buy blood plasma, and they tell us they can help.

"What your report shows is extremely worrisome. Blood plasma transfusion is not a panacea. If doctors have not decided that it is necessary for someone it would be wrong to have such treatment. This therapy has not been validated and is based only on preliminary studies. It's important that people know it,"  said expert in medical law Maria Petrova for "Hello, Bulgaria" morning program.

She added that the Criminal Code classifies this type of activity as a criminal offence. On the other hand, it is also a breach of rules under which this blood or plasma should be taken.

"The only study in the world that examined the benefits of blood plasma in combatting COVID-19 has not shown significant and sufficiently effective results. On the European Commission's website you can see that the benefits of its implementation in therapy are still being collected and explored," Petrova warned.