the dangerously primitive, fragmented state of blood transfusion in iran, with its exclusive reliance upon blood bought from often addicted and diseased professional donors, drawn from the most deprived sectors of society, spurred dr. ala in 1972, to propose the creation of a centralised, state-funded national blood service for the recruitment of healthy, voluntary, non-remunerated donors, and the subsequent collection, testing, processing and distribution of blood and blood products to hospitals free-of-charge, in accordance with modern technical and ethical standards. the object was to take these vital services out of the commercialism of the market-place, and bring them into the realm of altruism and science.