I have come across some information that seems to expand on the idea that there exists a "bloodless cult" whose main thrust is to promote questionable technology around the world targeted at the blood market. And based on questionable evidence. From what I have seen of the 'big picture', that 'evidence' is more often than not based upon 'belief' rather than good science.
I stumbled upon a Nigerian forum that was discussing the JWs and the blood issue. It goes on for 5 pages and typically splits into the for-blood vs no-blood camps - a familiar standing off of the old controversial fight between two medical approaches - the allopathic doctors against the "holistic'/alternative medicine.
http://www.nairaland.com/1154791/wife-dies-after-family-refused/4
On page 4, a poster claiming to be a surgeon from the UK says this in support of the bloodless camp:
People should not make bold statement over issue they don't have all the facts. As an orthopaedic surgeon of close to 40 years I have lots of experience on this issue than most do. I know for a fact that there is no policy among Jehovah Witnesses's not to receive transfusion as a blanket law. Its down to individual and am hundred percent sure that the lady in question has taken that decision in the event like this through her verbal instruction or what we call medical life will and not by her family.
He knows for a fact...
Well, I know for a fact that it hasn't always been that way. I know for a fact that tens of thousands of JWs have died because they couldn't and wouldn't take blood.
Down to the individual? Well...that depends...
He goes on for a bit (and then says this:
As a surgeon, I will be the last person to recommend blood transfusion for anybody at will, because what most people do not realise is that transfusion kill people than it saves. I usually tell people that blood is the sewage of the body and every single event in your body goes through the blood stream. Thousands die each year through blood poisoning, hypertisis B, HIV, all through transfusion and this is in advanced countries where blood is specially treated to the highest standard. Can imagine in developing nations?How does that stack up against what the rest of the world says about blood safety?Does that make Mr. Emmanuel's statements to the FDA false? And all those other sources that say that blood, at this time in history, is the safest it has ever been? The safest intervention that the medical profession uses?
And about the developing nations. Funny how that aligns with religious expeditions into developing areas of the world. Areas with little control over medical trials and procedures and such. Ripe for the picking.
This next part of his comment is revealing (bolding mine):
Over the last 30 years, thanks to this JW people, science had develop advance method of all sorts of non blood surgeries and this includes many hours surgeries like cardiac, brain and most complicated procedures in orthopaedic like Quadraplaty. I can tell you that Jehovah Witnesses started and developed a machine we used today called jpyt, which is a blood salvaging machine, preferred by the rich and famous today in surgeries instead transfusion.First - the comment about "rich and famous". Yes. of course it is available to the elite. The elite who want to make sure their blood is clean and pure, not contaminated. Rich - of course. Contrary to the propaganda that promotes PBM as "economical", the technology is expensive to access. For rich people. People with money.
Second - the "jpyt" machine. I hadn't heard that term before so I googled it. And this came up:
UK ‘blood recycling’ breakthrough will let Jehovah’s Witnesses have major surgery
Hemosep. http://www.brightwake.co.uk/hemosep-blood-processing-developed-at-brightwake-ltd_N2.html
In Canadian hospitals now:https://www.cadth.ca/hemosep-new-system-ultrafiltration-and-blood-conservation-cardiac-surgery
Hemosep - developed by Brightwake. The Hemosep story:
http://www.advancissurgical.com/hemosep/hemosep-story/