Urgent appeal for blood

The Blood Transfusion Centre said yesterday it was in desperate need of blood in spite of several appeals.

Sixty bags are used every day. To keep up with demand, the bank has had to utilise blood which had been earmarked for non-urgent operations. These operations were postponed in the hope that more blood would be donated in the coming days.

Over the next three days, the centre requires at least 900 bags of blood.

The centre appealed to people to give blood and to employers to make it possible for them to do so.

Donors must present their identity card.

Healthy donors aged between 18 and 60 should call at the National Blood Transfusion Services near St Luke's Hospital.

The Blood Transfusion Department is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Youths aged 17 may also donate blood with their parents' consent.

One may also donate blood at the Blood Donation Mobile Unit at the Gozo General Hospital or at the blood bank of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta near St Philip Hospital.