Why so cagey?

After the South China Morning Post printed my letter on September 16 headlined 'UK blood-donor ban ridiculous', I was contacted by the Red Cross and told it would, in fact, accept my blood as it was prepared to test O-negative blood for the mad cow virus.

As the testing is expensive the Red Cross will not do this for other blood types. O-negative is one of the rarer blood types in Hong Kong.

It is strange that the response letter from the Red Cross to these columns on September 27 ('Entirely proper to err on the side of caution'), did not mention this.

I would imagine that it would wish potential O-negative donors to know of this policy.

LYNNE POELMANN

Clear Water Bay