Urgent appeal for "O" negative blood

anika Psaila Savona

Feb 16th 2009, 17:49

Mr Galea - so what is your solution? would you rather that there is no blood available rather than have blood of persons who lived in the UK for some or part of their lives. The rule as it has been explained to me by the blood bank would capture most people who have travelled to the Uk even on short spells. So what woudk you expent UK hospitals to do? Quite rightly this rule does not apply there. I appreciate that there must be regulation, but an outright exclusion due to the risk of mad cow's disease as it is beign applied, does not make sense, particularly if the alternative is no blood at all.

a darmanin

Feb 15th 2009, 15:50

@ A.Grech
Going to the Blood Bank in G'mangia (on the left hand facing St.Luke's Hospital) or by visiting your family doctor is a way easy to know your blood group.

We should also make it a must to carry a tag or something that indicates our blood group and other personal medical conditions (i.e if one suffers from diabetes, gluten allergy or penicillin allergy) in our wallet/handbag.
No one knows when we are in need of medical assistance.

Rachel Spiteri

Feb 14th 2009, 16:36

i know my blood type cause i still have the tag that they put on my wrist as a newborn. :)

lgalea

Feb 13th 2009, 20:41

A.Grech I think by going to the Blood Bank. Darby Allen et al I understand your arguments and thank you for your generosity, but that would be exposing the authorities to liabilities for supplying blood which may be tainted with vcjd. cynthia busuttil If I remember correctly, it used to be on the ID cards. It could be a life saver in case of an accident and the person is unconscious since it takes some time to check the blood group, time which is extremely essential in such cases which may require intervention forthwith.

A.Grech

Feb 13th 2009, 20:22

how can one find out his blood group in a short time?

Darby Allen

Feb 13th 2009, 20:11

As a UK citizen I was not allowed to give blood when I lived in Australia due to the possibility that I may have been exposed to vCJD. Now that I am living in Malta I find the same unnecessary restriction applied; my O-neg blood could save lives and no one wants it! Ridiculous. If I was lying on the side of the road bleeding to death I'd want someone to give me the blood NOW; we can worry about the small risk of vCJD later!

Alfred Cassar

Feb 13th 2009, 19:01

I agree with Ms Psaila Savona. We need more blood and so we can do without these self-inflicted restrictions. This regulation should be removed at once. However there are lots and lots of people who can easily donate but they don't. I think this is a bit of selfishness. Some people say that they are afraid of donating blood. So, may I ask, are you also afraid of receiving blood when/if you need? Please be more altruistic, donate blood if you're healthy enough.

c.t. busuttil

Feb 13th 2009, 18:45

I wonder how many of actually know our own blood group. I think it would really help if this information were printed on our Identity cards.

Anika Psaila Savona

Feb 13th 2009, 18:42

Remove that rule where anyone who lived in the UK during a particular period cannot give blood and I am sure that the donations will increase. I used to be a regular donor but cannot give blood anymore because of this rule just in case I might have gotten infected by mad cow's disease!. I am sure that such rule is not applicable in the UK. Malta too should not apply this rule in view of its close ties with the UK where many of us at one time or another have spent some time in England. You might want to consider such blood as second class blood because of the time spent in England, but better this than no blood at all.